Freezing Fire and Warm Ice
by kaoru07
Summary: The moment she looked into the man-slayer's eyes, she knew that the danger he posed was greater than the fact that he could kill her. Will they be able to soothe each others emptiness? Or will they be consumed by the conflicts hidden within their hearts?
1. Prologue

The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice

~Tiger-Lily~

MInna-san! This is my very first hand written fanfic. Hand written, because I'm a doujinshi artist. I consider my two Rurouni Kenhsin doujinshis as a fanfic, though. I had known fanfics for so long but I haven't tried to publish any. Ideas just came popping out of my mind and I don't know if I can draw all these stories at once. And I don't know when I'll get to finish drawing it all. That's why I decided to do it the other way ^_^

This way I'll be able to contain my thoughts into something productive. And oh,..another thing,…

Since I'm an artist, I can't tell if I would be able to satisfy the readers. Gomen ne,…. Pls. don't throw meteors at me. I wrote this just for reader's enjoyment… not for my own gain. But I promise to do my best with this one.

Please don't hesitate to read and review.

DISCLAIMER: I really don't own RK. Who knows? Maybe someday. Im a Mangaka already, but if it's RK, why not?

PROLOUGE

The cool breeze of mid-autumn air brushed lightly against her wind reddened cheeks sending wisps of dark ebony tresses clinging over her dry lips. She had tolerated the scent of the last Sakura tree she had passed through wash her own jasmine fragrance. Her feet trudged the dark quiet streets of Tokyo as silent thoughts mingle in her mind. The land was dry all the way it's rough and enduring path, giving her no trouble to maintain her preferred pace.

She inhaled the moist scent of fallen leaves while keeping her breathing intact with her quickening strides. Her hakama made it easier for her to tread and she felt just comfortable with her gi, which is now damp with her sweat after the last minutes of training. Her hair moved in sync with every wave of her body casting a streaming shadow in its wake.

For a girl who practices kendo, she didn't even think of herself as attractive, much less beautiful. Her hair, long clean and healthy as well as her fair complexion was all she had asked for. And to top it all was her eyes which twinkle in azure that was the highlight to her features.

Those two spheres of dark endless pools concealed the sadness and emptiness of her heart beneath its warm smile. A smile she had plastered on her face to hide her own emotions. Emotions left in her heart since her parents died.

Heading back to the dojo which was her home since she was born, she banished the lingering memory. Now she is alone, no one to even greet her home.

To her to pride, she's starting to feel overwhelmed by this monotonous life. A kind of peace she acquired from being alone. She has to admit, the mere fact that she had been living by herself for quite a time now made her feel a little proud of herself. But she missed her family, especially her father.

It's been sometime since Kaoru's father passed away from the war. To others, It might have looked like she had already moved on, but the painful scar left on her heart would always bleed, making her feel more sorry for herself.

Suddenly, memories of her father came flooding back to her;… his steady stance while he performed his kata,… his sobbing form by her mother's side when her mother died.. and the day he left her to participate in the Seinan war – and never came back.

'_It might be the season'_ she thought. Autumn is the breeze of her hovering memories – the scent of her father.

Her thoughts settled back to reality as she opened the gates of the Kamiya dojo. She could just thank Kami- sama for letting her carry on until now. It is quite a feat for a seventeen year-old girl like her to be shouldering too much responsibility. Giving lessons to fend for herself and paying the taxes for the land of the dojo. To make the things worse, the number of her students decreased since the rumors about the Battousai spread to Tokyo. So she had to go to other dojos to teach, still adhering to her father's ideals about Katsujin-ken or "the sword that protects".

She slid the shoji to her bedroom and got her yukata out of the cupboards and head out to prepare her bath. As she walked to the tub, she shook her aching shoulders to ease her contracted muscles. Dropping her gi and hakama to the floor, she slid one foot in the tub to test the temperature of the water. When it was warm enough, she dipped herself in the water. Ripples blurred the features of her slender body as she sank into the steaming liquid.

"Ah,…" she let out a shattered sigh as the heat reduced her aches and bones to jelly as she let the hot water knead her tired muscles.

For minutes she sat quietly, letting the water raise just above her chin. Suddenly, without even realizing it, sleep gradually swallowed her as her eyelids hid her blue-orbs.

**Kyoto**

"…_.whose eyes twinkle in the gleam of dancing swords?_

_Those may be for the one who presume killing as easy as breathing.."_

_..just waiting another splatter of blood-_

_Stain the flash of his own blade"…_

He jerked back, exhausted from the same vision that kept haunting him for what seemed like forever. He had already accepted this fate….Living the way of an assassin; resting in the morning and slays in the night. Dropping his head back, his hand found the forgotten cup of sake he just poured minutes ago.

"Must've dozed off again.." he uttered tilting his head toward the light.

This routine had already made him ignore his body's necessities. A price to pay for the duty of a man whose life is sold to death.

Kenshin let out a sigh weighted in dismay. The agonizing silence was harder to endure than hearing the familiar noise routine in the inn he was staying in. During these moments, the stillness casts him into a depth of darkness where he found himself hearing the terrifying voices… voices that kept accusing him until they irked him out of his sanity.

He sipped the liquid and felt it run down his throat making him feel a hint of warmth.

"His soul must be rotting in hell by now.." he had overheard once as he walked the busy streets of Kyoto one morning. With his long red hair tied in a ponytail and long bangs enough to hide his golden eyes, nobody would even take him for a manslayer. For it was also said that those who sets eyes upon him haven't lived to tell the tale.

Yet as the days wore away, Kenshin could only find himself wondering what really felt like hell.

"A place where fire annihilates everything,.." he muttered to himself. "A place fit for monsters,…. Like me."

He can already feel the flames licking his very being right now. But somehow, something is different though, for what supposed to be hot was somehow freezing for him. If there is truly fire, he had wished it to be hot as he knew it – because the blaze consuming his body froze him like ice. A coldness that stings the depths of his soul that he felt he'd fell to pieces in a single blow.

Finding a way to survive the cold, he reminisced the last time he felt warm. The last time he felt love. But he had already destroyed his only source of those with his own hands, without even meaning to. Feeling a sense of restraint, he ran down his hands over his face and tracing the scar on his left cheek. He looked at his sword, which is now in its scabbard. "The perfect place for a sword", some would say. Then he slid it lower, allowing it to rest in his shoulder. The world weighed down on him as he felt the heaviness of his sword.

No one would have the slightest idea of his suffering, or hear the cry of the silent warrior inside. For he knew each life he took adds to his life of reproach. He had been struggling over his own emotions. Much the same as She did…

Two different worlds. Both having the same intensity of their conflicts. A cold fire devouring His soul, and the ice hiding beneath Her soothing warmth.

Fate had been holding back somehow, preparing its wheels to turn over their lives. Now, they would just have to wait.

END OF PROLOUGE

Please R&R so I would know whether to continue or not. T_T

I'm extending my gratitude to Kanzen ne Tsuki. I really liked her stories. And to all the readers. Thank you for taking time to read this prologue. Heehee. You are all my inspiration. Reading other fanfics made me itch to write mine and draw for those beautiful stories. Just send me a message if you want me to draw something for your stories. Especially Tsuki-san. I can already picture out your story "DO YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?".


	2. Spinning the Roulette of Fate

**A/N:** Sorry it took me so loooooong,….and arigato gozaimasu to those who sent me their reviews! I woke up the next morning finding 5 reviews on the first installment of this story…..^_^ Thanks a lot my dearest readers! **YOU** gave me enough reason to continue this story.

There might be slight OOC's here ….. this one tried to be consistent with the canon but guess I can't do it,…gomen.

_Anyways, I just finished the RK fanfic painting I dedicated to Kanzen….for her story "The Red Death".. Follow my deviant art account link on my profile to view it. That's all I can do to honor the lady now T_T…. I encourage all KnT fans to check it out,… _

….,Here's chapter 1! Pease read and review.

**DISCLAIMER:** I think I'll be saying this for the rest of my life. I DO NOT OWN KENSHIN, ITS KENSHIN WHO OWNS ME,….

**For those who are confused**, After his first love's death, Kenshin _**tried **_not to kill again once the revolution is over. He had fought as a guerilla swordsman to protect the imperialists at the last war he participated in. But even after that, some circumstances do not allow this new vow because some are sill after the hitokiri's life. (actually the timeline is during the denouement of the bakumatsu). He wanders though, but not as the Rurouni we knew. The sakabatou hasn't been released yet. This is truly the Battousai, not the Kenshin with the "sessha" and "de gozaru". Kaoru is a 17 years old kendo instructor. She is living alone since her father died half a year ago.

* * *

**The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice**

~Tiger-Lily~

_**CHAPTER 1 – Spinning the Roulette of Fate**_

Twenty feet away. Fifteen.

Ten.

His jaw clenched.

Five.

_NOW!_

Jumping off the ground like a phantom, he drew his sword from its sheath in a swift motion to charge towards his opponent. With a fling of his blade he already took down three opponents at once. He heard another hurtle of footsteps as he landed on a crouch.

" OooooohhHH!"

Kenshin let out a battle cry as he surged at the attacker. The blade cut through his opponent's guts easily. He stooped, letting the body lunge down in anguish. This was the last spy he had to deal with this night.

Even in the current denouement of the revolution, enemies still come to chase after him; wanting to have the infamous Battousai's end. Nobody has succeeded in doing so, though. With his striking God's speed, nobody could even stand against his Hiten-Mitsurugi Ryuu; count the spies he just ran into.

"Fools,.." he hissed through his teeth.

Flicking through his blade, he could make out the perfect reflection of the bloody image of the moon. It's not like this is the first time he had seen this. After seconds of letting the blood slide down the point of his sword, he settled to wipe it with a cloth when he felt another presence.

" Hassles, Himura-san?" a voice spoke in the dark. He turned back to deal with the familiar voice.

He didn't answer, the man broke the silence for him "..you cannot avoid them by merely travelling on foot.."

He suddenly felt the urge of answering back. "They're as usual, charging carelessly like the ones before.." he said, sheathing his sword in place.

"they wouldn't _allow_ you, would they?..." he questioned, knowing he'll get his point. The young man kept silent

" ..where will you go now? …any plans about settling somewhere?.." he seemed not moved by the young man's restrained actions. He was used to these reactions because the assassin used to be under his command.

" ..,haven't even thought of it Katsura-san".. '_I don't even think that I'll even be able to stop myself from taking lives'._.. "I'm trying to stay out of trouble for the meantime…. " he answered instead as he walked past him, giving him a hint of discomfort at such a vague conversation. He formally bid his leave and departed.

'_your life had taken enough bloodshed Himura-san..'_ Katsura thought dolefully.

He continued his uncertain journey, travelling farther from human sentient. He remembered expressing his gratitude to the landlady of the last inn he stayed for the past few days and left, not having any plans about his next destination at all. He didn't want enemies chasing after him especially now that he tried to carry on his resolve. But these last few nights he still had his fair share of tearing ribs and guts apart, seemingly unable to put his vow into action. Kenshin just stopped his trek when he came upon a quiet forest.

'_It would seem that I would just have to camp for the night'._

He did not care to even bother about dinner and sat against a stump for a nap reducing the fire to embers. At least tomorrow he will have more time to think.

OoOoO

Before dawn, Kenshin had already left the place he slept last night. Clearing any sign of him dwelling there, he made sure no one would follow his trail this time. His journey went on, stopping only for a short meal and taking hydration for his body. The path seemed to stretch endlessly. The forests on either side never seemed to vary and ahead there was only a new bend in the road to tease him.

This morning when he passed a group of travelers, he had overheard them talking about trading ships bound to Tokyo; that trips would cease by this week because of the upcoming season and that the last passenger ship had just sailed last night bursting with travelers. Suddenly, his mind itched about Tokyo. Maybe he'll be able to formulate better plans there. And at the same time, he would also get a chance to stay away from his enemies and fulfill his vow.

But there would be no passenger ships now. Well, he didn't mind because he wouldn't have chosen it in the first place. '_The Battousai's smarter than that'_. He wanted to be hidden from public eye as much as possible and he won't count on a passenger ship. But perhaps, a trading ship would. He knew private trading ships sail a week more than the passenger ships. He'd talk a deal to a merchant and he'll be able to sail his way to Tokyo without further hassles. Consistent with the thought, he found himself inquiring for private trading ships to Tokyo. '_Not a bad idea after all'_, he thought.

OoOoO

Kaoru had just finished scrubbing the _dojo_ by herself. She is expecting Dr. Genzai so she decided not to give lessons today. She smiled, contented at the accomplished chores as she wiped off the sweat on her brow.

"I wonder how much they have grown up now", she thought as she pictured bubbly little girls in her mind.

She giggled at the memory of the old doctor's granddaughters. Last year, they spent winter with her at the Kamiya dojo and she felt overwhelmed to have them accompany her every now and then.

Dr. Genzai had helped so much especially since her father died. He had been their family doctor as far as she can remember, and they had been like a family to Kaoru.

"I'm sure they'll be hungry after their long trip, I must prepare a big lunch for them right away" she began trailing back inside the dojo when she was interrupted by a knock on the gate.

Surprised that her guests had arrived early, she squealed with delight.

"Cooomiiiiing!" Her happiness was reflected by the matching bounce of her step as she hollered blithely through the dojo as and came to meet her expected visitors.

It was the mailman.

"Good day, I see this is the Kamiya dojo. Is there a Kamiya Kaoru here?" he asked courteously.

"This is her" she answered timidly, slightly embarrassed. How many times would she ever remind herself to think before she flew off the handle?

"I've got a letter for you from a Kakuni Genzai" he continued as he handed her the letter.

"…a-arigato.."

Kaoru exchanged polite little bows to the man before he took his leave.

She closed the gate and half-heartedly opened the piece of paper. The crispness of the neatly folded paper told her of what was to come.

_Kaoru-san,_

_ I'm sorry but our visit there had to be cancelled because I went to help assist those who are affected by the war's denouement in Kyoto. I shall be staying until the end of the month. We won't be able to catch the last ship to Tokyo since I heard that the last ship will sail only for this week because of the gale of early winter. So we won't be able to make it even after this month. I'm sorry for the trouble. _

_I believe you needed tea and some medicine for this coming winter so I sent you a package I also included some of the medicine's recipes if ever you needed it. It should be there by tomorrow morning or the next day. Good thing I managed to catch the last public trading ship yesterday. Be sure to pick it up. Ayame and Suzume sends their greetings to you. Take good care of yourself Kaoru. We'll visit you by summer._

_ Dr. Genzai_

Kaoru almost let out a whimper when she folded back the letter. Now all her efforts had gone to waste, especially the lessons she had missed for the day. _And to think that she's going to prepare an all-out lunch when she's just eating by herself as usual! _ "Mou! –" she thought "they are more important than the lessons, _baka_!" she slapped herself at such a selfish thought.

Her plans settled for the next days. She would have to go to the dock to check on the trading ships. The old doctor had been kind enough to send her a package in place of their absence. He had mentioned tea and some medicines. Necessities for winter, of course. At least it would be enough to supply her for the whole season. Medicines tend to be expensive on that time of the year.

But she would be much more grateful for their presence than anything.

OoOoO

He gazed dreamily at the strip of water caressing the hull of the ship. They had left the shoreline of Tokyo an hour ago by sunset. He stood at the deck of the silk trading ship since dusk, watching the sight of water on the horizons. It plagued him; leaving the place he spent most of his lifetime and had most of his saddest memories.

A small ache lingered on his heart. It's not as if he's escaping, because he knew even escape won't erase the truth of his life. He believed with all his heart that he won't be able to escape the past. He stayed there for hours, watching the waters until evening.

He slid his hands vigilantly on the hilt of his sword when he heard approaching footsteps.

"we've made a fair trade this season,.." turning to meet his presence, the merchant beamed. "It's been a fair passage hasn't it?"

"hai, .." Kenshin gave him a curt nod. He wasn't used to strangers speaking to him in such a manner. At least he could put on all the formalities in his manner for the kind merchant. The man had granted him free voyage in exchange for his services as a lookout for the ship until it reaches Kyoto.

The night sky rumbled, from a distance, he could sense a storm brewing up.

"You haven't stayed in your cabin since we took off...does the ships facilities make you uncomfortable sir?" the man continued.

"Not if I could help it" his voice was flat. The cabin's comfortable enough, but being the assassin he was, he preferred to stay outside, keeping his senses open for everything. As the sky resounded again, the merchant awkwardly turned and went back inside.

Minutes passed, rain started to pour on the deck of the ship. He raised his sleeve over his eyes to prevent droplets from obscuring his vision.

Heavier beads pounded the deck, and as he was just about to go back to his cabin, he caught something approaching from afar. It looked like a ship, only smaller than theirs.

He can hear faint noises. As the ship got closer, shouting of men roared in his ears. Just when he found out what he thought it is, pirates began its assault to invade the ship. He drew his sword and stood in a fighting stance. Good thing he was trained to fight on board so he was able to maintain his balance.

The storm grew worse as the situation, when some of the thugs reached the deck they began attacking him. Some managed to get inside and as he fought with couple of men, he saw the helpless merchant being dragged outside by two masculine pirates, somewhat twice bigger than his own petite size. He was too occupied on his own. The water throbbed against his head as he fought the pirates. Leaping, he raised his sword over his head

"Ryu tsui sen!"

He used the free-fall of the sword to slash his opponents in half over their shoulders. Some came charging towards him again and he slew them in a single blow. Blood misted with rain. He was failing his vow again.

Two pirates came out of the cabins dragging out boxes. It doesn't look like it was one of the rare cloths he presumed the ship was holding.

'_..what are those things? I thought this ship only held silk?'_ Kenshin was confused himself.

"we had taken down all the men down the cabin!" he heard one of the men shouting

"..where is it stored?" the bigger man asked.

"..down at the last door boss!"

The big man smirked ferally "..Take those _**drugs**_ out and make it fast!"

His eyes widened. '_So that's what it is!' _He **didn't** know he had just aboard a ship trading **drugs**! That's the reason the why the merchant asked me to be his lookout!

The 'boss' caught his gaze and stared back at him. "So you're a tough one, eh?" he remarked, looking around at the mutilated bodies of his defeated men.

"leave them to us boss!,.." one of his cocky men insisted.

"no!,… this man is MINE.. get to your own fucking business and prepare so we could blow this shit off right away! I'm going to blow this ship off with his dead body!_"_ he smirked.

His ki raged. This arrogant man doesn't even have the slightest idea of who he's dealing with.

He unsheathed an oversized katana behind his back and rushed toward him. He couldn't tell if the man was just a match or he was just lucky to be able to avoid some of Kenshin's thrusts. Must've been the latter.

"Ryu shou sen!" Kenshin advanced toward the man when he heard an explosion. The next thing he realized was that his force was deterred in mid-air because of the impact. Bracing his body, he landed on a crouch.

"abandon the ship!" he had heard some of them yelling.

The storm raged to its fury. The pirates came scurrying back to their small ship in an unpremeditated rush.

"…there's a fire down the cabin! We have to leave this ship immediately or we'll be all dead!" one of the men bellowed to their boss. Taking advantage of the disturbance the coward followed his crew to the side of the ship leaving the assassin he knew would have torn his body to pieces seconds ago.

His fury reached dangerous limits when he saw them retreating. '_Oh,no you're not going anywhere!'_ His eyes glowed like sun in the darkness. He re-sheathed his sword and followed them to their direction while flames spread rapidly around the ship like miasma.

By the time he had nearly reached their spot, he heard another explosion.

A blinding light flashed. The next seconds went still.

The last explosion detonated the whole ship and sent the mutilated bodies of the pirates' flying through the air. Fortunately, he wasn't close enough to the explosion, because if it were not so, he could've ended like them. But, his body felt limp.

He heard a splash. He knew he was on the waters, thrashing violently to search for something to cling onto. Of course he knew how to swim but he doesn't have enough energy to plunge any longer. The water was shockingly and unexpectedly cold, which almost knock him senseless. When his head reached the surface, he couldn't catch his breath at all. His arms hit something hard. Miraculously, he caught a floating piece of wood. After a dazed second, he managed to lean on it and he felt his blood moving again.

He slowly drifted away from the carcass of the annihilated ship, allowing the steady waves to carry his body. He lost track of time as the storm ceased. He knew he'd freeze to death and would soon depart this world to his freezing hell.

His mind was clouded; he could call to only one,

"_To-mo-e…" _

OoOoo

It was cold

He couldn't see anything but darkness.

"is…this…hell?.." he asked himself

He looked for anyone, he looked for comfort. He found none.

"_Shinta.."_

A voice called to him. It was unfamiliar. It was different. It was,….comforting.

He searched where the voice came from

"Where are you?" he pleaded.

"…_You're safe now.." _

"Is that you Tomoe?" he cried out. Though he didn't remember mentioning his real name to her even once.

Turning around, he saw a woman behind him. Indeed, she isn't Tomoe. But he could not even see her features clearly, except for one thing he reminded himself …

She has the most magnificent blue eyes he had ever seen!

"_..come to me Shinta…."_ The woman lured him to her. He felt her connection to him. The voice was almost music to his ears.

'… _so reassuring'_

He could feel her. He felt himself going to her direction. She was his peace. She was his comfort.

He fell into her arms, quenching the freezing sensation consuming his body as he clutched his body to her.

'_She feels so warm,…..'_

He snuggled himself against her neck. Drinking in her scent, he drew in something different than that of the scent of white plums which haunted his dreams.

'…_.She smelled of,…Jasmine'_

Never in his life did he felt this kind of comfort. She was heaven itself.

"_I'll always be by your side,.."_ she cooed to him like a child

"Please, hold me…" he pleaded "..stay with me, forever –

OoOoO

She woke up early the following mornings to wait for trading ships at the pier. By the third day she rose up and grabbed her haori anticipating that the ship she's waiting for would come today. She did not bother to change into a kimono since her haori was thick enough to cover the inappropriate.

Supple winds of daybreak greeted her as she took in breaths of salt-tainted air. Arctic gusts seemed to be blowing frequently, ushering the impending winter.

She glanced ruefully about the idle wharf…_What if it wouldn't come today?.._

For the next minutes she had been anxious, pacing her way up and down the pier and stopped near the planking when she caught a slump of an unknown mass moving under the foundation of the platform. Eyeing the moving bulk, she almost yelped in shock when she recognized what it was.

'_Kami-sama! It's a man!'_ She gasped as she selflessly hurried off the edge of the planking. '_Hold on there!'_

OoOoO

"_..forever – _

The last word he uttered sent him back to reality. It was almost daybreak. Surprised that he was still alive, he found himself desperately clinging onto a wooden foundation. He felt too weak to move. He has to stay in this state a bit longer. His heart prayed for redemption, until he heard a splash.

OoOoo

Removing her haori and her sandals, she paddled her way to the platform and yanked off the man at the underpinning. She ignored the weight of the man and thrashed their way to back the riverbank.

"Mister,…" she shook his shoulders, wanting to get any sign of verve from the man. He is wearing a dark blue _gi_ and a light-colored_ hakama_ by which she can't identify the color because of its drenched form. Hanging laxly on his left was a katana. He must be a samurai, and from the look of things, he must have drowned, '_but for how long?_ '

He shivered from the freezing cold as a result of being in the water since midnight. He could hardly even move a muscle for he drained all of his strength clinging on the only foundation his body found.

She couldn't let him stay this way for long!

When they reached the edge of land, Kaoru shifted the weight of the man on hers, grabbed the haori she dropped earlier and flung it over the man's shoulders to keep him from shivering. It would be inappropriate enough without her haori, but with her yukata drenched – she didn't know she could feel any worse.

She remembered Dr. Genzai's package but she shoved it away from her mind. The package could wait. She only had plans on saving this one's life first although she didn't even know him. She turned her head nervously to see if anybody had noticed the disturbance. Her eyes searched for perplexed eyes... but she found none. _Whew! No one saw!_ She was thankful she went earlier today before many people gathered at the dock.

Her slender yet strong arms supported his limp weight. She looked at the motionless body against her. An X-shaped scar carved his cheek. His face looked pale from exhaustion, wet hair burned red like blood tied on a now-unruly ponytail. He blinked his eyes once in a while with every bit of consciousness he had, trying to adjust to the light. She saw pale purple orbs. Dull…almost lifeless.

Drowsily, he opened heavy eyelids to peek at the rescuer, astonished to see a pair of blue eyes staring at him. It was full of concern. Then he suddenly felt that familiar wave of warmth again, bridging through their fastened bodies.

'_Aoi… '_He thought. _'I never thought such color could be so warm'_ aware of the presence of the savior, he drifted off to unconsciousness.

**TBC**

* * *

Well,… how is it? Well I just came came over this chap again and I almost ripped my head off when I noticed A LOT of my mistakes… Gomen to those who are confused with wrong grammar and I bet it's a bit of a cliffie for you guys.. Hai hai. I know, Kenshin's a bit humdrum… But don't worry; more Battousai and Kaoru dialogue/actions awaits the next chapters. So hold on for a while.

I **NEED** extremely; juicy reviews most of all in this one! cuz It would really help me a lot if you do. Give me at least 12 reviews and I'll be sure to update soon.. I already have Chapter 3 moving so if you want it sooner, please send me your reviews…X3

J Luc Pitard: Actually, I'd rather to stick more to the canon but I realized that many of this story's elements would fall to pieces so I think I'd consider this semi-canon O_o…..XOXO ARIGATO FOR YOUR REVIEWWWW it made me focus more to the story's intricate details. More hugs

JMai: thanks for informing me….really I didn't know. But when I found out I felt so sorry for myself for not being able to meet her T_T yes she is indeed a wonderful person. I hoped she still lived to see what I drew for her stories. Now I'm thinking about dedicating a one-shot RK songfic for her. Thanks a lot.

Sumiregusa: Battousai is behind me while I was typing this chapter. He threatened me so I had to update whether I liked it or not. He's so bent on the readers without even thinking about my well being..*sobs like a child..

Hotaru Himura: don't worry, SHE won't interfere haha.

Reignashii: Thanks, ^_^… but I think the pirate scene is lame…. I just thought about the SHURA episode. I really have to do this anyway so we could move forward.

donhisiewen: well, here it is! Thanks bunches for the review…

MoonlightWriter101: I'm very, very sorry for taking so long! I really have to concentrate! Please forgive me dear… anyways, how did this chapter went for you?

Please,Please, PLEASE review! Love lots! T-L


	3. Shooting Flares of Temper

**A/N:** …..

This took longer than expected. But thank you for waiting… you know I wouldn't fail my DEAREST READERS ^_^x. Review Responses at the end of the page, please. Here's chapter 2! Enjoy and don't forget to review. (Onegai minna-san don't make me remind you.)

This chapter is beta-edited by my remarkable beta onii-san JLucPitard. Yay! At last!

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **I promise I won't claim RK (crossing fingers from behind)

* * *

**The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice**

~Tiger-Lily~

_**CHAPTER 2 – Shooting Flares of Temper**_

"_What are you fighting for?"_

"..."

"_What are you fighting for Battousai?" _

He hesitated.

"I fight... to protect the happiness of the weak."

He heard the voice chuckle.

"Who are you?" Kenshin shouted. This rage was different from his composure during fights on the battlefield.

"_I am __**YOU**__ Battousai.."_

Suddenly, a man appeared from the shadows. When he turned to look directly at him, he noticed the unmistakable resemblance of red hair, amber eyes and a cross shaped scar.

His eyes grew to the size of saucers on seeing this mirror image of himself.

"_You've destroyed many lives, many people's happiness,"_ he smirked. _"... Even YOUR own…" _

The intensity of the impostor's gaze made his body freeze.

"_Is that what you're really fighting for?"_

"... No…" The thought resonated in his head, is this really the assassin I've been harboring inside myself? "I don't find pleasure in killing! I just did what had to be done. To protect… "

"_To protect?"_ The question came out like a chuckle. _"How can a merciless killer brag about protecting happiness when he has killed so much? Do you think that the families of the ones you murdered found happiness right now?"_ His question struck him.

"N-NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Adrenaline rushed through him as Kenshin held onto his katana, preparing to strike.

"_You stole her happiness and then you killed her. Whether you admit it or not, it was still your own doing," _he sneered. "... _The joke is on you, Battousai._"

Though confused, he was still as alert as during battle. He seemed to understand what the impostor was getting at. Why wouldn't I, he asked himself, when he'd said we are one?

There's only one way to know. Kenshin needed to try it. He prepared to draw his sword from its sheath.

"_You're a fool, Battousai. Do you really think you can draw that sword against me?_" he warned.

Amber eyes glinted. "So be it. If it means finishing you off for good, I won't hold back- even if it cost me my own life." There was no other no way, he decided.

"_That's just like you Battousai, risking your own life to slake your bloodlust."_

"Enough talking," he spat. Moving with god-speed in the wink of an eye, he charged forward without hesitation, ready for anything to come.

"_We're one Kenshin. Accept the truth. You're just an empty vessel for me to take over."_

A strike.

A push.

Red.

Then darkness.

His breathing was ragged. Sweat dripped like tiny beads, all over him. He covered his face with his palms, trying to banish the shock of the nightmare he'd just awoken from.

When his breathing normalized, he managed to look around the unfamiliar room. It was bigger than the inn he'd stayed in for the past weeks, but it looked inviting, even for a man slayer.

He looked at himself and noticed that he was wearing a blue yukata. He struggled to remember how he got there in the first place.

The scenes from that night came back to him with a vengeance. Images of dead bodies, blood mixing with rainwater and the burning deck. Everything was still fresh on his mind. He shoved the memory aside. The burning smell hadn't left.

Wait…

It wasn't his imagination; he really could smell something burning. He got up to his feet. Thinking he was abducted by the pirates and imprisoned on that place to be burned, he reached for the katana on his left, only to find that it wasn't there. His adrenaline surged. Whoever had taken him kept it. They must've thought the assassin was useless without his sword. He rushed out of the room to find where the burning smell originated.

He came to a stop when he reached the source. It was a run-down kitchen but what really caught his attention was the kimono-clad girl who stood in front of a burning pot. When the girl noticed his presence, he was rewarded by two cerulean eyes that greeted his. Her ebony hair was swept into a high ponytail, held by a ribbon which complemented the color of her eyes.

"_Aoi-"_

A faint memory twinged in his heart. But before it fully resurfaced, he noticed the bashful look which flashed in the girl's face the moment he stepped into the kitchen.

"Well. Um… o-ohayou.." She turned half her attention to him. "I'm sorry if I woke you, I'm just not good at cook–"

Before she finished her speech, she was pinned to the wall with the stranger's forearm weighing down her throat, keeping her immobile. She froze at the attack, but managed to look directly at his eyes. They were burning like the sun.

If memory served her right, his eyes weren't like that when she first saw him.

FLASHBACK…

_Kaoru reached the gates of the dojo with the man still clinging on her shoulders. He'd fallen unconscious minutes ago and that only made the situation harder for her. She kicked the gate open and shifted his position on her shoulders again. They entered the gates and she kicked the door closed. Relief was her sanctuary when she reached her room. She settled him on the wall while she prepared the futon for him. As she opened the mattress, she looked over her shoulders to get a look at the unconscious stranger. _

_How naive of her to be so trusting! She didn't even know where he came from. What if he was a murderer who'd escaped from jail or a hired killer? Shivers ran through her spine. But for right now, she intended to help her fellow swordsmen._

_She remembered hearing a couple of women wagging their tongues over some shipwreck the night before and some people they'd met. To her dismay, they'd cast suspicious glances over at her. She dared not waste her time worrying about them, her concentration now focused over the dripping man. She searched her closet to find something for the man to wear and then went out to fetch warm water. She hesitated before pulling the man's garments off. Her eyes scanned the skinny figure of the man. _

_She removed her own damp haori she'd thrown over his shoulders earlier and settled on changing his clothes. Before she untied his hakama, she took note of the sword on his left. "He must be a well-trained warrior to be able to survive the sea for a whole night and still keeping this intact," she thought as she slid the heavy metal off his side and laid it aside._

_He looked pale and his lips were almost gray. She wiped him with the towel soaked in warm water to soothe the stinging coldness of his skin. Color slowly came back to his skin. She immediately slipped the dry yukata over him and fixed the collar snugly over his chest._

_Shifting his weight on her again, she laid him on the futon. Thank the Kami Dr. Genzai had taught her basic first aid- very much required in her profession. She removed the leather band holding his hair to release the wet mass. He'd wake up with a terrible headache if she didn't. Kaoru pulled the blanket over his chest and reached for his hand. _

_It was cold as ice. Her need to protect him increased as she rubbed her palms over his to generate warmth in him._

_Medicines! Her mind shouted. She remembered her real purpose at the pier this morning. It was still early, maybe she could go back to check the public trading ships at the docks? Kaoru had banished it from her mind earlier because of her drive to save the man. Now she realized it was equally important. _

_Looking over the still form of the man, she gathered her wits and decided to go back to the wharf. She ran outside and closed the gates of the dojo._

_All her hard work was rewarded when she got to the pier and saw the trading ship. Onlookers thronged forward as knobby bundles and packages were passed over the sides into their eager hands. _

"_Thank the Kami!" She ran and inquired after her package. A deckhand went inside and came back to her with a miniature wooden cabinet. She thanked the ship's crew and walked away from the wharf._

_Around her, she heard people talking about what had happened last night._

" … _It might be one of the pirate assaults again!" one of them shouted. She hugged the bundle hard against her and continued walking to get away from the disturbance._

_When she got back, she immediately prepared the medicine for her new patient. Dr. Genzai had included instructions for different ingredients to be used in making certain medicines. After finishing the powdered mixture she carefully brought it to the room where the man slept. _

"_Ah." She smiled contentedly. His body had regained its normal warmth from the last time she'd checked. She scanned him for a second before kneeling beside him and lifting her hands to his mouth and pushing his jaw open with her thumb. His cracked lips gave way for the folded piece of rice paper containing the right dosage of medicine she'd prepared for him. He let out a small moan as he tasted the mixture. Kaoru smiled at this. It seemed like even at his unconscious state, his senses of taste quickly responded to the bitter mixture she made him intake. Deftly, she poured a small amount of tea in a sake cup, to easily slip the liquid in his mouth without making him get up. She hoped it would help him endure the bitterness of the medicine._

_She got up to her knees and began tidying up the room. In few quick sweeps, she picked up the drenched clothes she'd tossed aside to the corner of the room earlier. Her eyes fell on the gleaming black scabbard of the katana. She picked up the sword and slid the shoji closed._

END OF FLASHBACK

He grunted when he read no response in her eyes. She must be spacing out.

He pinned her harder to the wall to pull her back to her senses. Their bodies pressed harder against each other. He felt something which he couldn't fathom- as if he didn't want this moment to end. The girl felt right, under his own skin.

Feeling him pinning his knees against her thigh harder, she clenched her jaw and shot a glare at him.

_THE NERVE OF THIS GUY!_ Her dagger sharp orbs tried to pierce his. After all the fuss I went through to save this IDIOT's life, she thought, he's paying me back with this?

She tried to push him off her, only to be get knocked back again. He was too strong for her _and too close! _Kaoru could feel his breath ghosting against hers.

Good thing she'd kept his katana away from him. She had taken some safety precaution after taking this man in. If she hadn't, she'd be another mutilated body on the papers by afternoon. In this moment, he'd proven that he was just as dangerous without his sword.

Who could this man be?

He fought against the strong will in her eyes and noticed their blue color had dropped to a darker shade, though not from fear. She wasn't not afraid of him? He'd seen this look from some of the strongest opponents he'd fought at the height of his career as an assassin. Most of his opponents couldn't even stand up to his glare but this,this_ GIRL!_ He took note that she was… beautiful. As her_ kenki_ raged, her eyes gave away her fierceness. Never in his life had he seen a woman with such a fiery spirit as hers.

"Who are you?" he asked with the roughness of his unused voice. He emphasized his fury by pressing her even harder.

"Ugh!" She felt her body stiffen against his. At least give me some air to breathe, she thought!

"Kamiya…" It sounded more harsh choking, but her voice was strong despite her situation. "Kamiya Kaoru.."

* * *

Her name didn't sound like one of the pirates. He let her go carefully.

"Where's my katana?"

Kenshin was sure he'd still had it as his body struck the water.

Kaoru hesitated, afraid that he'd truly kill her once he got hold of his sword.

"I… I kept it.."

"Where?"

"In the dojo." she muttered. Not caring whether he heard it clear enough.

In the wink of an eye, he was outside, as if he knew where he was going. Finally, his feet found the polished floors of the dojo and he saw his katana resting among the wooden practice swords. He grabbed the weapon and looked up, reading the exquisite calligraphy of the plaque. _"Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Katsujin- ken"_

He stopped and observed the room. Nameplates hung on the other side of the wall. He was surprised when he noticed that it only had five students. Then he read one nameplate _"Kamiya Kaoru (shihandai)"_

"So, the girl practices kendo," he thought. That's where she got her balance. Maybe, she was just another spy with plans to kill him. But she could've done it in the first place. Confusion goaded him, angering him further.

He found her standing at the doorway of the dojo and took a few steps towards her. His hands still clutched his sword.

"How long have I been at this place? Why did you bring me here?" he tried to calm his voice. He prepared himself for that the lies that might roll off her tongue.

"I found you one morning at the docks while I was waiting for the ship that carried my package..." she paused as she felt the coldness he radiated. "You were clinging to the foundations, under the planking. When I pulled you over the edge, you fell unconscious… and you've been bedridden since then."

She was amazed that her voice managed to be steady, even after his assaults earlier.

He was dazed by the girl said, the words that tumbled out were not- as he'd first thought- lies. He remembered the blueness and the concern in her eyes. She was so naïve to be so trusting, he thought, so innocent.

She wanted to say more about the past nights, when she'd woken up whenever she heard him groaning in his sleep. He must've been having nightmares. She'd sat by his side every night, to croon to him every once in a while. She'd barely gotten any sleep herself. Embarrassed, she shrugged it off and decided not to tell him.

She wanted to ask him many questions but the way he behaved told her not to. One thing, though. "May I know who you are and how you got into that state?" She saw him flinch as she asked.

He couldn't possibly let her know.

Silence fell. Just as she expected, the rude man ignored her and walked past her, to the door.

"Where are you going?" She knew he'd avoid her question again.

"Where are my clothes?" without answering her, he asked back.

"I had it washed and it needed mending, so I patched it decently enough..." Her cheeks reddened.

He continued to march away from the dojo, but before he totally vanished from her sight, she let out her fury.

"WAIT!" Her _ki_ reached dangerous levels.

He suddenly came to a stop. What was it now?

"If you're planning to go away, then I don't care! I don't give a damn about who you are, but at least save me the effort of saving you again by eating something before you go! You've been sleeping for three days straight and haven't had anything in your stomach but medicine!" She paused to catch a bit of her breath before starting again, "I –"

She paused when he stopped. He seemed to feel the force of her anger.

"I… won't bother saving you for the second time if you try to leave and pass out in the middle of the street starving!" silently she added, 'Idon't want to see anyone suffering.'

Finally, he turned around to look at her red-tinted face. "I don't accept your charity."I didn't deserve any of it, he thought.

"_CHARITY?" _Her patience ran out but she retained some composure even though she felt like she could tear out all of the man's beautiful hair.

"You practice swordsmanship, right?"Breathe in, Breathe out. _"_Then I believe, **SIR**..." she emphasized the honorific sarcastically."That even the likes of you know that it's **NOT** an act of charity but merely what a normal swordsman should do for his fellow man."

Kaoru said her next words with pride, "My father's ideal of Kamiya Kasshin- Ryu is 'the sword that protects life' and I live by those words."

He was flabbergasted at her words. Never had he heard such proud words from any woman.

Indeed, he thought with a secret chuckle, the girl really did have the spirit of a true samurai.

She stared at him for a long time, waiting and hoping for anything she might take as a response. Others despised her school's beliefs and she braced herself for his laughter.

Without saying anything, he walked in the direction he remembered the kitchen to be in.

He heard her shouting again.

"Hey! Don't turn your back when someone's talking to you! Don't you have any manners at all?" She quickly closed the distance between them. Just before she grabbed the man, he finally faced her.

The next words that came out of his lips were surely her imagination! He left her frozen to the spot, stunned.

"I'm going to fix the mess you did with the tofu, angel.."

TBC

* * *

**Hotaru HImura**- actually, I just needed her for some details in the canon. Of course Kenshin hasn't moved on, yet., O_o Haha thanks for your review! I hope you enjoyed this chappy!

**donhisiewen** - if it weren't for ALL OF YOU I would'nt have updated. Thanks for the support. The truth is, the chapter you read is the draft of the chapter. I have uploaded the wrong document lol. I had a lot of trouble editing it..X( coz whenever I saved the changes it's still the same unedited ROUGH draft! so I had to delete the chapter and re-upload it slapping myself Anyway, I like kaoru with Battousai too. Their pairing sounds so sexy. O_o is that the appropriate word?

**crayontesla** - oh,...gomen if I didn't mention it. Kenshin is aboard a PRIVATE TRADING SHIP and kaoru's package was shipped in a PUBLIC SHIP. That's the difference. ^_^ sorry for the confusion... love lots!

**katwalkchan** - yeah,..I like your name... sounded like cat walk...hugs actually I had a little trouble patching up details together for this one. My perspective for Kaoru is slight OOCpathetic sigh gomen nasai, the last line was a bit lame….

And to others I have not mention; I'll get to you next time! Thanks for supporting this story! I'm expressing my deepest gratitude to all…..**I'm not spoiling anything so bear with me!** T-L


	4. The Game of Trust

**A/N:** I've been busy….and lazy. -_- I broke my longest record for not updating for so long. SORRY!

This chap might be a bit boring,…I think. But I need this for the progress of the plot, so I'll be more than grateful if anyone would appreciate it. Oh, and I'm currently working on a new story. I'm still choosing whether I would make it a Kenshin and Kaoru pairing,.. what do you think? Should it be a BxK? Please help me decide! I **NEED** your votes. And I also have to look for another beta-reader to help me with my new baby. Please feel free to send me a message if you know someone who would be more than willing to edit my new story. I'll have you know that English is NOT my first language. I'll tell him/her more about the details later. But I have one teaser though. IT WOULD BE A VAMPIRE FIC. (yeah, yeah, I'm being influenced by vampire fics lately! but it's going to be quite different from other dark vampire fics that I have read) So far, I have read others vamp fics and they really are great. But I respect them enough not to plagiarize any ideas from their stories. I'm taking up a communication course so I follow ethics.

And **ONE MORE** THING: I forgot to mention (stupid me) that the revision of the summary of this story is done by my remarkable beta JLucPitard….and so as the editing of this chap.

And IM NOT DEAD.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **T-T

**The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice**

~Tiger-Lily~

_**CHAPTER 3 – The Game of Trust**_

She stood there, watching the figure of the man who washed vegetables at her sink. Muscles flexed beneath his toned arms as he went through his job, cooking for lunch. He moved with grace, as if he really belonged there. The girl, standing behind the wooden door, hoped he wouldn't know she was peeping.

'_Can you really trust that man, Kaoru?_'her rational mind battled out against her, unaware that the one she was watching had already noticed her disturbed aura.

His last words rang through her mind, "I'm going to fix the tofu you messed up, angel."

This morning came to her like a flash; her mind didn't even have the time to process everything. She was just cooking when this_ FREAK_ barged in! The next second, she was pinned to the wall and being assaulted by the idiot which she naively considered as her patient. And now, she had just let him prepare their food, _HER FOOD!_

'Fix?'…' Messed?' She wanted to explode right back at him but was too stunned to do anything so foolish. He hadn't only insulted her skills in the kitchen, but he'd also infuriated her.

And what the hell does he really mean by_ 'angel'_ she wondered.

She silently watched him move through her kitchen. The young woman's eyes were fastened on his figure, marveling at the way he managed to go here and there, while keeping his hands busy with the chopping and simmering of vegetables and dropping them on the boiling pot. Her kitchen wasn't like this when she was the one cooking. For her, the food would burn, she'd cut herself or slip over something. It was as if her kitchen was some sort of a living trap. She was great at handling a sword but clumsiness was her middle name in terms of chores. She studied him warily, feeling a bit- just a little bit- of admiration for the red haired guy.

Wait a minute, why was she standing there gawking at him at the first place? Silently denying the truth, she ended up with the lamest excuse she could come up with.

'Don't think I'm attracted to him,' she snorted at her alter-ego.

'_Oh really?_'

'I'm just keeping an eye on him, to see if he's trying anything tricky,' she spoke to the voice inside her head

She turned her eye to the kitchen again, unable to resist looking at his handsome form. This was not the lifeless and pale figure that was lying helplessly on the futon, days ago. Every fiber of his being swirled in colors: his hair, which was illuminated by the light streaming from outside, gave him an illusion of fire, blazing over his shoulders; his lightly tanned skin was moistened by sweat and steam from the kitchen, and his eyes.. She remembered catching them in a relaxing lavender hue, but now it was they were amber- a perfect complement to his red hair.

Then, her eyes fell on the opening of his yukata, which gapped slightly, revealing a finely sculpted chest.

Why hadn't she notice it when she dressed him on the first morning? Maybe because her mind didn't hold lecherous thoughts then? She was still an innocent, after all.

As if on cue, he pushed his hair to one side of his shoulders with a hiss.

'Stop it Kamiya Kaoru!' her mind screamed at her. 'You're not here to let your guard down! That conceited man might just drop something poisonous in that steamy pot of some unknown concoction!'

She seemed to be incited by this.

'That's what he wanted to do all along! He already distracted you with his words earlier to have you at his mercy! Don't tell me you're actually falling for that stranger?'

'_And where did you get that thought?_' she fumed back.

'Now, don't go about falling into his trap- dancing over his palms like that!'

"Yes of course," she whispered to herself. But she couldn't deny her attraction toward this man. No, attraction was an understatement. She was entranced by him. Not only his looks, could she tell that now; it was his touch. It was the way he looked at her with smoldering eyes and she couldn't even fathom what emotions he held that time he'd stared at her. Was it desire?

The way his body seemed to hold her captive sent butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. It was the first time she'd allowed herself to be under someone's mercy, a MAN's mercy!

Brows furrowed at the mere thought of her pride as a warrior being trampled on. She might let anyone kick over her pride as a woman but not as a warrior! Assistant Master Kaoru Kamiya was more than that! Being a female didn't mean that she would go among the ranks of those who called themselves women, but who couldn't lift their feminine arms over their heavy kimonos to defend themselves. She buried femininity alongside the grave of her father and made a vow to herself that the remaining Kamiya heir would not be moved by any man, that she would not be weak.

So why had she allowed herself be overpowered and harassed for that short period of time?

_'Yes! Harassed! What else would you think it is? Did you honestly think that I liked being pushed to the wall by _that man?' she screamed at the back of her mind.

But deep inside, she was actually smitten by the feel of his steely seizure at her petite body. Feeling helpless against this man excited her. She just had no choice but to push him away because she could have fainted from lack of air.

But fainting in the arms of that handsome red-head wasn't a bad idea as well….

'_It's not rape if I enjoyed it, right?'_

Just then, her fleeting thoughts were interrupted when a familiar smell wafted under her nostrils.

_'_Miso soup…' her mind acknowledged and she was drooling at the tempting aroma.

Kaoru couldn't remember the last time she'd had good food cooked under her roof. Sometimes she went for the next best thing by eating beef stew at the Akabeko, one of her favorite restaurants in town. As much as she hated to admit it, her body seemed to have fallen for his bait. This stranger sure had the upper hand now. When she saw him take the lid off, she was sorely tempted to walk inside and down the soup.

"He knows how to play this game very well" she mused to herself. But her body had already gone against her. Just then, as much as she loathed it, her stomach let out an awful sound. So loud that she was afraid he'd heard it, too.

Beet red, she'd decided to walk away from the kitchen before she lost her control but was stopped dead in her tracks when the voice inside the kitchen spoke,

"Impatient, aren't we?"

OoOoO

He was aware of her presence, warily observing him behind the door. In the last few minutes, she seemed to be holding back something. He could feel it in the shift of her _ki_.

"Do you really think that I can't feel you, angel?"He thought as he felt her observing him.

Actually, he'd known she'd be there after what had happened earlier. He knew the girl wouldn't have trusted him further. 'But what exactly does she think I am up to?' He wondered. 'It's not like I'd poison her.'

Of course he wasn't stupid enough to do that. Hitokiri Battousai was more than that, especially to someone he now understood had helped him.

"_I don't owe anyone anything!" _the Hitokiri in him broke in.

But how could he have let his guard down so easily? Had he gotten weaker? He'd just let this girl drag him here and now he was working in her kitchen? For a swordsman's pride, he should've chosen death in that storm rather than survive and suffer in shame by dropping to the ranks of a servant. But still, would he really prefer death over cooking?

Not wanting to be bothered by the frustrating thoughts, he dropped the vegetables into the boiling soup and concentrated on the girl who had just surprised him.

How he loved the way she'd squirmed beneath his body! But never in his wildest dreams did he expect to feel intimidated by a woman's glare. It was shocking how she stood up to him. If there was ever a female hitokiri, she would be perfect- except for her naïve beliefs. One glare from her would've melted the some of his strongest enemies from the past and he found that alluring about her.

The assassin had met his match.

* * *

_His freezing soul was lost the moment she flaunted her fiery spirit._

_It was trapped in a trance when he saw emotions flare through her icy glares._

_Blue eyes that could burn someone's soul. Yet, could be as subtle as a hearth's warmth._

_He needed something as consuming as those to burn the frost inside him.

* * *

_

Since when did he prefer a fiery girl over a calm woman?

He hissed as he brushed his hair aside. _Kuso! Is it just her or is it the steam?_ Just the mere thought of her sent liquid heat through his spine. And with all this heat, his unbound hair did not help at all. But he preferred the sensation from the usual chill he felt.

From the way it smelled, he could tell that the soup was ready. Just when he was about to taste the soup, he heard a faint growling sound.

Kenshin almost sneered when he realized what it was. It was his time to break the silence when he felt her _ki _retreating.

Just as he let the words tumble off his lips, her footsteps came to a halt.

Oh, how fun it was to play with the girl's temper, even Battousai enjoyed playing with her fire!

OoOoO

"I can tell you haven't eaten anything since this morning."

Her hunger was suddenly forgotten as she whipped her head back to him.

"Why would an idiot like you care anyway?" It was all she could do to keep herself from charging back at him.

He didn't take his gaze away from her and marveled at the effect of his mockery. She was flushed. The color rose up heavily from the recesses of the collar of her kimono. He smirked.

How she hated his devilishly sexy charms!

She fought another wave of blush starting to crawl up her face. Wanting to give him the impression that her blush was not of embarrassment but of anger, she opt for a hasty tactic and came out with the silliest thing: "Don't you dare think I want to eat your food, or whatever you call that boiling thingy!" she bawled at him.

She ignored her internal monologue's 'you could do better than that!' to listen to his answer.

"Oh, of course not. You wouldn't. But your stomach says otherwise," he teased her.

She heaved another sigh. Kaoru had to bite her lips to hold back the rage she'd been saving for him. _Damn! _He'd heard it! Oh sure_, _heavoided her questions earlier, but now he was all talkative!

There's more than meets the eye with this stranger, she thought, he's just full of surprises. And she didn't expect them to all to be good surprises, either!

OoOoO

Kaoru couldn't help but feel awkward in front of the pestering man. She'd stood still as he prepared lunch and put the last cup down the low table, then grimaced as she noted how comfortable he sat, like he was at home. She didn't notice when the stranger looked at her and shook his head.

"Quit sulking over there and sit down to eat," he commanded.

When she didn't move an inch, he began serving himself and spooned rice into his empty ceramic cup. Then, much to her consternation, he picked up another cup and started to serve his companion. Swayed, she made her way- painstakingly slowly- to the table and sat idly, facing him. After a few seconds, he began helping himself, but Kaoru's food remained untouched.

Oh, that's why, he thought as he remembered her anxiety in the kitchen earlier. He let out a sigh of exasperation.

"It's not poisoned."

"Of course it isn't," she said. "Because if it was, you might as well be dead by now!"

She'd forgotten the poisoning issue earlier. Yet, if she couldn't do any better, how would she know?

"Do you really think I'd poison you, Angel?" Raising an eyebrow, he paused to wait for her reaction. "Well, suit yourself."

She flinched when she heard the annoying nickname again. Trying to regain her dignity, she violently snatched up the pair of chopsticks from the table and held her cup in her hand. Then she cast a gruesome look over the person opposite her. He didn't seem to notice because he continued enjoying the first food he'd had since his health was restored.

From his peripheral vision, he watched her take her first bite.

He smiled inwardly.

OoOoO

I wouldn't be convinced if he hadn't taken a bite, she reasoned to herself. He wouldn't eat if it was poisoned!

Not only did she not end up dying, but she had to admit the painful truth, that she'd REALLY enjoyed the food. The _miso_ was incredibly delicious! Or maybe that was an understatement. The food was exquisite! The burnt tofu that he re-did didn't even taste like it had been tainted by Kaoru's clumsiness.

Is he really a swordsman? He's more like a cook.

It was very confusing, but her feelings of trust toward the man were growing, even though he'd already proved that he could be as dangerous as a killing machine.

The kendo instructor knew that if she brought up the topic of his identity again, he'd avoid her, or worse, he could resort to violence again. It unnerved her. He'd angered her countless times this day, but offered to cook her food.

And he'd spared her.

Maybe annoying her was just his way of telling her to bug off, to save him the argument. And maybe that made them even.

Didn't she have the right to know the name of the stranger she'd been harboring under her roof?

The whole day went quite normally for the dojo, though. He'd managed to stay out of her sight all day. She was even amazed at how he could avoid her, in such a small compound!

Kaoru didn't bother going to the market to buy dinner; she helped herself to the leftover tofu from the morning. Judging from the remaining amount of food left that evening, she could tell that he'd already eaten his supper. Besides, it was too delicious to be wasted.

As she ate alone, she counted the days she'd missed teaching lessons. The dojo had been closed temporarily since she took him in and now that he'd regained consciousness- andalready had the strength to attack a person- she had expected him to leave, but he hadn't stepped a foot outside.

"First he was anxious to get out of here, like his pants were on fire, and now he's acting like I want him to 'feel at home'_"_ she grunted.

Why wouldn't he say ANYTHING about himself? She wasn't pushing for much, his name at most. His stubbornness wasn't helping either one of them, especially without any sign of him wanting to leave.

"Why would he want to stay? Am I right about him being a criminal, wanted by the police?" she trembled.

Absentmindedly, her feet carried her toward his room. Kaoru's thoughts faltered as she reached his door.

Being the shihandai she was, she knew he must be resting now, by the stagnancy of his_ ki_. She peeked in to make sure. The stranger she'd expected to storm out of the dojo after freeloading was there, comfortably sitting with his back to the wall.

She muffled the sound of the shoji and quietly tiptoed in to take a closer look at the man. Indeed, he was attractive.

Her gentle side asked, 'How could I be so stupid as to think that anyone could be after this gentle-looking guy?'

He'd hurt her, yes, but he'd assured her that he was harmless_._

"Of course, anyone would've done the same thing, out of surprise, right?" she thought as her eyes scanned his relaxed features. She smiled. He looked vulnerable, like he had on their first meeting. She couldn't help but admire how his bangs framed his handsome face. When she caught herself staring for long she blushed at her impudence.

Before she could turn her back, his shoulders quivered. _He must be cold._

She wanted to drag him to his unrolled futon but he looked too peaceful to be disturbed from his slumber. So instead, she went to the mattress and pulled out a blanket.

Her arms opened to him, like the welcome of an embrace, as she draped it carefully around his body, resting either end above his shoulder. He stirred slightly and snuggled to the warmth like a kitten. She smiled and quietly stood up, heading out so as not to wake him.

OoOoO

Deep in the night Kaoru had trouble falling to sleep. She had tried but whenever she was on the brink of slumber, her mind kicked her awake.

She didn't know why but her thoughts raced, unsettling her mind. She reminded herself of everything she'd been neglecting since she brought the man to her home.

There is so much that she'd missed; she had lost track of time, forgetting about the coming winter; how she would be spending a season alone now that Dr. Genzai's family wasn't able to keep her company, and- most importantly- she missed teaching. True, she didn't have that many students, due to rumors about the manslayer who disappeared after the war, but she couldn't risk losing the remaining five.

When her students had started to quit, one by one, telling her that their parents forbid it, her heart clenched. With the fallout of the war in Kyoto, they insisted that the sword only caused death and suffering.

Still, no matter how hard she tried to clarify her dojo's ideals, she ended up having to give sword lessons at more prominent _dojos_ to augment her meager earnings from the small number of students she had.

A lone tear silently made its way from the corner of her eye down her temple. Although she'd promised herself not to cry, her emotions betrayed her. She was still a girl, after all. But her tears weren't caused by her financial instability- heck, she'd teach for free!

The truth was, only three of her students paid for their lessons. She taught the other two for free, but kept that a secret. Kaoru perferred more students over more money. No, her heart was broken because her father's ideals- the one thing she protected the most- was being trampled on by others.

She had promised that she would continue her father's teachings and vowed to give everything to preserve this, even if it meant giving up her life. It's not the time to give up now.

Her mind wandered back to her current problem: Sleep. Yes, she could think of better plans if she cleared her mind. There would be more hopes. Tomorrow.

Desperately wanting some rest, she settled on the classic way of getting to sleep, counting imaginary sheep.

_One, two… Three… _

Her mind was slowly slipping to the sweet world of unconsciousness. She was almost to fifteen when she felt rest claiming her.

_Fourteen… mmm... Fift –_

She was dazed to hear a sheep crying out in her thoughts. Her eyes snapped open.

"What the hell was that just now?" her mind screamed. She heard the sound again.

Sitting up, Kaoru held her breath to listen carefully. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but it came for the third time.

It sounded like muffled whimpers and it sounded desperate. There could be no other place it could have come from.

She immediately threw her blanket aside and rushed out. As she neared the room of the stranger, she could make out soft sobs and several thudding sounds on the floor.

When she reached the door, she nervously peeked through a small slit and froze at what she saw.

Curled up tightly on the floor and thrashing violently, like a fish out of water, was the red-haired man. His eyes were completely closed so she figured it was nightmares. Again.

But this was different- he looked as if he was freezing to death. His legs made awful jerking attempts to curl against his chest. The blanket, which she'd put on him earlier, was discarded a meter away from him. Maybe, from the kicking and thrashing?

Without hesitation, she slammed the shoji open and quickly knelt by his side. Her hands grabbed his sides and she tried to shake him, but he did not even stir.

_He was completely lost! _In a panic, she called out to him loudly, uncaring if he would wake up in a shocked state just like he did this morning. It didn't matter that he might assault her again.

"Mister! Please wake up!" she pleaded. She had to get him back to his senses before anything serious could happen.

She hadn't told him about the nights she'd rushed to his side, crooning to him, to ease his nightmares. Now that he wasn't feverish, she hadn't expected them to be worse.

"Please, mister, it's me!" She shook his shoulders. Still no response; he still shivered uncontrollably.

It was the start of winter but there was no way anyone would shiver this badly. There wasn't even snow yet. Unless, the cold was inside him?

Screaming didn't work! As much as it embarrassed her to do it, she couldn't think of a better way to stop his shivering.

She hauled him up to her smaller frame and forgot every fiber of shame as she tore the upper part of her _yukata_ open. She threw her arms around him. The best way to generate heat must be with the warmth of another person's body, she thought.

Like a lost child who'd found his parent, he wrapped one arm around her neck in return and snuggled, hugging her to him. Even more surprising was the feel of hot tears rolling down her skin and the fluttering of lashes against her nape- he was crying.

She couldn't clearly make out the words he was mumbling as he sobbed, only 'fire' and 'cold' were audible. Puzzled, she finally took the chance to hold his face between her hands and look directly at him, for the second time that day. Before she could even ask him what the matter is, she forgot to breathe.

Kaoru was trapped between confusion and shock.

Shimmering with tears, pure vulnerability reflected in his eyes. They were completely violet now, the same hue she'd seen the day she saved him at the dock. The color she knew they must've been before.

TBC

* * *

..I have known that nightmares could be detrimental and can even cause death.

To all the reviewers:

actually, I planned on not putting review responses in this chap. but I have to make this announcement before I make amendments. This might be the last chappy that has review responses at the end coz I prefer PM-ing you all, because I wanted my readers to enjoy the PURE GOODNESS of the story. Tell me what you think. Should I continue responding at the end of every chaps?

**ILoveSarahSophia -**Thanks. You make me feel like I'm not a bummer. haha. I would like everyone to know that I'm not THAT good in my grammar. That's why I really, REALLY appreciated everyone's support. Thanks. And I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**Ari Goddess of Night -**Yes, of course I would. Thanks for the review!

**kokoronagomu-** lol. Thanks. I made Battousai sound like a complete freak here. I followed your devART and I really liked your works... it brings out the DARK side of me..haha. But I'm not a stalker, I tell you...*O*

**nma5-**Oh, yes, I did. Hmmm… lemon?... Why would I rate it M at the first place? Thanks. I hope you enjoyed it. No spoilers yet… but I did say this is an M rated fic right. ;-)

**guii-**I see you have two reviews there! Thanks for the support. XOXO

**Saki-Hime-** thanks. I hope I did well for you this chap hime-san!

**pterion-**sorry for making you wait... this is just the beginning buddy...just the beginning..(smiles evilly)

**Chibi-Tanuki-**Your name is cute... and so as your review...^-^ Thanks for liking the last line (which I considered lame) but all of you made me feel like I really did it well. Of course, as a writer, I really loved the last line, but I don't know how it sounded when Kenshin delivered it.

**katwalkchan-**I think so, too... but the difference is that she's too forward with her attraction toward him in this story...

…and to all who've read and added this story to your alerts list,... THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT. I hope it's all worth the wait,..see ya!

P.S.

Reviews are fine. Even flames will do.


	5. Denials

**A/N:** Sorry for not being able to update sooner. I'm currently having a writer's block and unfortunately, an artist's block, too.. -_- Since I didn't take summer classes I think I would be able to make it up for everyone. Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. BTW, RK's going to be re-animated! YIPEEE! (pops out champagne from nowhere) they also released a new game for their 15th anniversary! WELCOME BACK Kenshin! I'm having RK saisen madness now.. yes, I have the game!^^

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **Standard Disclaimer Applies

WARNING: Lots of characters' POVs. For those who have not seen Trust and Betrayal yet, you may not want some spoilers. Read at your own risk.. and sorry for the confusion. From now on, I would like to make some amendments.

"oro"- denotes speaking

_oro – _might be applied for flashbacks or emphasis on words

"_oro"-_ dialogues inside flashbacks

'_oro'- _thoughts

**The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice**

~Tiger-Lily~

_**CHAPTER 4 – Denials**_

Kaoru tried to focus her attention on their current situation rather than her newfound realization. Not knowing what to feel. with all her mixed up emotions, she brought her hands up to his face and held it up to meet the gaze of the sobbing stranger.

Like he was a child needing to be comforted, she drew his face into her embrace. '

Kami, please tell me what to do… ' She wanted to, but couldn't sink into the depths of his thoughts- those that gave him this trauma. She wanted him to open up, so she could know and try to ease his soul. One of her hands left his cheek to try and prevent another wave of tears welling his eyes.

"Shhh…" She ran her hands up and down his back. "It's alright now, no one's gonna hurt you." She didn't have time to process what she'd just said, but she was even more surprised when he answered her back.

"Cold... Please," his voice cracked. "I don't want to go back there..."

His arms came around her torso and she sucked in a breath when he buried his head deeper onto her shoulder. He must hear her erratic breath, because of his grip on her.

She tried to push him away enough so she could ask him about "that" place, the one he didn't want to go back to.

"Please, Angel…" he pleaded. "Promise me, you won't leave me again..."

"Eh?" Kaoru was confused both because he'd called her that nickname again and how could she possibly have left him before, when she didn't even know his name? Of course she'd never left him since he was under her care. 'I have no idea what he's talking about...'

But, her sympathy exceeded the confusion. She continued drawing circles on his back, comforting any aftershocks of the trauma left by his nightmares.

"I…" She paused, "I promise..."

What must've been plaguing his nightmares? Dark memories… Ghosts maybe? Souls of those he knew... Perhaps, whatever had which left him in the state she'd found him?

She waited patiently for the last of his sobs to die out. Now that his hiccups subsided and his breathing calmed, she could tell that he'd already fallen asleep. She debated leaving him to wake up on the cold floor or tucking him in on his futon… The former would probably be a good idea, considering that he'd fallen asleep that way, if it weren't for the subtle tightening of his hold on her, whenever he felt she was letting go... She even thought about allowing him to sleep in her arms.

'And then what? He'd wake up to find an obscenely dressed woman groping him?' That was how he'd likely see it. Or maybe she was being paranoid, afraid to wake him up and face the consequences of her naivety.

She tried to move again but he held on tighter. It was like being gripped by a giant koala bear- one wrong move and she'd be struggling for breath,.

Another thing that bugged her was that he seemed to think he was freezing, confirming it as he mumbled something about being cold. For Kaoru, with all that crying and snuggling, she'd already broken into a sweat. His body temperature felt normal against her. How could he possibly feel cold, now that he'd lost his fever?

'But how am I going to explain all of this to him?' She gave a mental equivalent of a whine. Yes, the other nights she'd rushed to him he'd been ill, so she'd kept it secret, letting it pass casually. But now she was afraid of telling him and the attack this morning only made it worse.

"He... really didn't remember anything…" she mumbled quietly. She didn't know whether she wanted to feel disappointed or glad. She wanted him to know that she was- and would be always- here for him during the times he fought with his inner demons. But salvaging a bit of her dignity, she felt it better for him not to know.

Every night, he'd calmed with her touches, soothed by her whispers… and yet she didn't even know his name.

His name.

Why wouldn't he tell her that simple thing?

It seemed impossible that he wouldn't remember this. With her glued to him, not to mention that her upper torso was separated from him only by the flimsy fabric of her yukata, only a tug away from baring everything.

She sucked in a breath, sort of a silent "eep."

'What would he do to me if he found out?...' She began to panic. What would they make of her now? What would HE make of her now? She could feel the steady heave of his chest against her with their thin night robes and that notion made it harder for her to think coherent thoughts as her breasts pressed against his every intake of air.

"No…I can't.. I must not let him know about this…" she decided. "He must not remember. It'll be like the other nights… It HAS to be.."

Should morning come and he switch to those golden eyes again, she'd just go with the flow. Though she much preferred the violet ones belonging to the vulnerable being in her arms right now.

His having an alter ego amused her: One a child and the other a savage. She'd already had enough of his insufferable side, why would the Gods not let it be the other way around? Unless he could make use of his savageness on other intimate instances…

'Where did that just came from?' She snapped back to the reality of her situation when she felt him stir. Panic clouded her brain again. She nervously jerked her head from side to side, searching for ways of escaping. Her plan slowly started to vanish as his stirring became frequent.

'Maybe I can just shake him off me and dash to the door… Right.' Better for him to wake up without her there. At least she'd save some dignity and it might look like she hadn't expected it to happen… or had she?

It's now or never. Kamiya Kaoru had to make a fast decision, but, this was for the best. She took a deep breath and, within seconds, had broken loose of his grip, taking advantage of his stirrings and quickly made her way to the door, ignoring the thump of his stubborn head hitting the matted floor.

OoOoO

It was hard to run on tiptoe, but it didn't matter to her. She had to get away from him, knowing him, he might have woken the minute she shoved him loose.

"Gods! There's no way he couldn't know about it!" She panted really hard, both from the nervousness and the distance she had to cover in such a short time.

Just as she returned to the promise of safety in her own room, Kaoru slumped against the paper doors. Even the moon seemed to go against her as it hid behind the clouds, stealing the illumination from the room. She tried to muffle her ragged breathing in order to listen for any footfalls in the hall.

…

Silence. He did not come after her... Good. She didn't have any idea whether or not he was awake from her sudden escape, anyway. And the important thing was…

She looked down at her trembling hands. Strange, but she felt like she had ran off from a killer chasing her when all she'd done was flee from the person she'd rather he be.

Yes, what's important was that she was able to see that part of him, to know that there was something vulnerable inside him… and that she was able to ease him.

Her senses were fully awake. She could still feel him, that prickly mass of his hair on her neck, his damp face, his chest against hers, his arms…

There would definitely be no sleep for her tonight.

OoOoO

He was on that familiar road again, walking blindly. The cushion of snow under his heels gave him the feeling of impending agony. The explosives had robbed the last of his senses but he couldn't care any less, for he dared not to trust his senses. It was dark but he was surely seeing figures inside his mind. Suddenly, the cold cushion was gone from beneath his feet. He opened blinded eyes. He could feel it. Someone was watching him… following him… The scent of plum blossoms wafted through his nose.

No!

It was the cursed memory that day. Déjà vu. Cold hands covered his eyes, censoring him. What was it that he shouldn't see? He heard his own words tumbling from his mouth "I will… protect you."

Tomoe… Tomoe... Tomoe…

He broke free from those hands, staying still as the images reeled in. A cross dividing the rays from the setting sun into four planes. A shawl draped over it.

It couldn't be! He would alter everything that happened, even if it was just a dream. He'd take any chance to change what was done. He opened his eyes in tune with the drawing back of his sword.

_I will protect you._

He altered it. He was able to save her this time… but now what? Before any coherent thought formed in his mind, he felt something stab him. His eyes closed, and then his mind stopped reeling. This was how it was supposed to be. He should be the one to receive this blow in the first place.

At least he'd saved her.

He fell to the cold snow- which felt somehow colder than before. He couldn't feel his limbs. It took him seconds to realize that there had been a second thud. He opened his eyes and his mind broke.

It was her face, mere inches away from his. Lifeless. Blood rushed from her chin. Her eyes were staring blankly at him boring into him… blaming him- swallowing him to depths he did not even know existed, till then. Her skin was cold and as frozen as snow. Trembling, her cold hands reached out to touch his scar. When he felt something cold touching his skin he realized that she was holding her wakizashi against his scarred cheek.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't look away. His neck was frozen. He wanted to avert his face from the threat of the steel, but he could not, and would not deny this to her. Yes, he had accepted worse cuts than these, and lived. Now with her inflicting this scar, he accepted the truth that even he could not stop what had really happened. He closed his eyes, waiting for the slicing pain to come.

Then he felt warmth seeping into him again. The hint of jasmine. His salvation.

"A-angel?,…" he stuttered.

He dared not open his eyes and used his mind to try and locate the tiny speck of light that was her. Then- in an instant- she was there again. Warmth enveloped him, but he couldn't stop shivering. It's not enough, he had to feel her inside him, absorb everything she offered. When she reached him, he was swallowed by the light. He felt like he was floating, lifted up by her. How long had he wanted to be this close to her? Her strong arms. that he knew were his haven, welcomed him with such warmth, more than he ever knew possible.

Such strong arms, yet so comforting. He snuggled into her tenderness and nuzzled her neck. The cold feeling started to ebb away as he let himself sob his heart out to her... Only her. Not caring if it would hurt her or not, he held tightly to her as if she was his life line. Indeed, she was.

He remembered the sting of ice cold steel on his cheek. Whimpering, he pleaded with her, not wanting to go back to that nightmare again. Still clinging to her, he remembered the first time she'd come to him. Then the past nights he'd called for her. She was so near, yet so far. He needed this closeness, assuring himself, not only of her soft voice but also her embrace- not just her touches, but her whole being.

"... promise me you won't leave me again." Worried that she might refuse, he pressed his lips to her creamy neck, wooing her.

He'd felt giddy when she promised. Nothing else would be sweeter to him. He snuggled deeper to her, sinking into her. As the cold started to slowly ease from his body and certain she would be there, he drifted to sleep.

In the morning's light, he knew that was the worst nightmare he'd had. It was almost real and the bite he felt in his heart was even more insufferable because he hadn't protected her and he was slapped again by his own words.

Nothing would ever change what had been done. Not even going back.

Kenshin got up and started dressing. It would be a good morning to fix them breakfast. It wouldn't hurt to pay her back a little for her generosity. As he fumbled with his clothes he felt sore. He remembered hitting his head last night, though he couldn't recall how.

Both his nightmare and his angel had been real- yes, she was _his_. She belonged to him, not only in his dreams. He could still taste her scent in the air.

She had been here. In his room.

He brought his hands to his lips, trying to find remnants of her there, bringing the reality of the feel of her because she IS real, not just a figment of his imagination.

This time he was sure. She would not, and could never deny it. He knew that she was "her_." _His angel... within his reach.

He just needed to confirm it. Wondering why she'd left out that detail when telling him about the nights when he was wracked with fever.

'_Is she denying it, or she was too embarrassed to tell me about it?' _ he wondered. A dark haired, blue-eyed woman, smelling like jasmine blooms. A smell that was uniquely hers. Judging from the scent which still lingered in his room, he could tell that she'd stayed longer last night. She wouldn't have gotten enough sleep last night, and that made him feel angry at himself.

OoOoO

"I can't go out like this!" Kaoru stomped her feet for the hundredth time that morning. "Not with him scrutinizing me! That mocking attitude of his!" She couldn't get away from her mirror, hoping that somehow, a different angle would lessen the dark bags under her eyes.

Nothing was going to make the morning any worse than when she heard a knock at her_ shoji._ She hesitated. Should she open the door to face him, then slam it back HARD in his face or jump past him and dash to the gates of the dojo thus avoiding him. Both would seem pretty suspicious and at the same time obvious, so with angry steps, she settled for the 'act as if nothing had happened' ploy. Maybe it would save her, if he didn't remember last night. Acting pissed off could always do the job.

She opened the door for him, mustering every bit of politeness. If it weren't for his mocking smile, it wouldn't be so painfully hard to keep her composure.

She was surprised that he seemed to be acting normal, she'd half expected him to remember and confront her about it, but it looked like he didn't. That meant he really didn't know how he acted at night and how she did. Now, she only had to deal with his daily routine of pestering her.

"What are you doing up so early? Planning ways to ruin my already devastated day for me?" she asked sarcastically

He chuckled, "How 'bout you? Something kept you up last night?" He emphasized the question with his finger, pointing at the obvious dark circles under her eyes. He leaned in closer to have a good look, gaining a warning growl from her. A few hours of lost sleep had not reduced her fiery temper any less. She seemed touchy about the "sleep talk" which proved his assumption true. His angel sure was a wild one to tame.

The images from last night flashed her mind again and she tried hard not to blush. "I had a good night's sleep, thank you. And what are you doing in my room anyway?" She looked at him. "If you don't have anything to say just – "

Before she could shut the door in his face, he caught it with his own hand. _'I should be the one asking you that question, silly girl'_

"Hey! Let go! I'm trying to dress in here!" She sounded irritated now, though he was sure she was lying because she had already donned her proper kimono and just wanted to be rid of his presence.

"You should have called me. I would've be more than willing to keep you company last night," he said with a sly voice.

"You –" Her fists tightened and prepared to launch a punch on that pretty face of his when he grabbed it before it collide with his jaw.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I gave you the wrong idea... what were you thinking anyway?" His grin grew wider, then he nodded appreciatively. "Oh," he said, sounding enlightened. "I wasn't actually referring to _that_... but now that brought it up, I wouldn't have declined." He tilted her face towards his with his fingers.

He admired dark shade of red that flowed to her cheeks, darker even than his hair. She swatted his hand away and walked past him, not entirely believing the he would let her get away, but needing to try. Her day couldn't get any more annoying. The pissed off girl's instincts proved true when she bumped into a wall.

She knew every inch of her house and was disoriented until she realized the wall she had ran into was actually the man's chest.

"H-How did you?" she stammered. Looking back at him, then at the door of her room, then back to him again.

"You should know how to be polite when someone's talking to you."

She had no time to respond before she felt her head tilted upwards to meet his intense gaze. Her eyes grew wide when she was pulled to him swiftly, in a fluid motion. Realization kicked in.

He kissed her.

The movement of his lips erased any thoughts from her mind. Her brain just stopped functioning as she reveled in the feeling of being kissed. She didn't know how to react... her lips.

He slowly let her go when he realized what he'd done. He cursed himself mentally. How could he lose control like that? He'd just taken advantage of a young maiden, who not only saved his life, but offered him a place to stay, despite his attitude toward her. It was plainly a chaste kiss on the lips, but he'd felt sparks fly upon touching her lips with his own. Her scent engulfed him again. There was no one who could evoke those feelings in him but his angel.

Ashamed, he turned his back to her and started toward the kitchen but stopped when he heard her voice.

"I… I'll be late this afternoon. Don't come after me. Stay here and look after the dojo." Her voice was voice was laced with determination. Without looking back, she headed out.

His eyes followed her, reaching out with the thought that she might turn back to him.

He rubbed his temples. '_Look what you've done, idiot- you just scared the hell out of her...'_ He frowned. _ 'Nice move, you just made yourself look like a pervert on the loose.' _

OoOoO

Kaoru really had no idea where to go at the moment. Right now, she just wanted to stay away from him so she would be able to think clearly.

'_That was my first kiss!' _she fumed. She'd expected her first kiss to be with someone she could fall head-over-heels for, and to be done with romance. But instead it was stolen by a stranger! A totally strange stranger! Now she was sure she'd die an old virgin.

'_I won't be good enough for anyone anymore!'_ She felt like crying but remained outwardly composed. When she reached the river she sat on a rotting log, not minding the risk of staining her kimono. She only had a vague recollection of the taste of his lips because of the fleeting sensation. Why did he kiss her? She was inexperienced with these kind of things, but from the list of things she'd imagined happening today, that certainly wasn't among them.

She needed to bounce back from this turn of events, so this might be a perfect time to pay her good friend, Tae, a visit at the Akabeko. Maybe she would understand her situation and get some good advice from a woman she could trust. She stood up with new found courage, straightening out her clothing and heading to town.

OoOoO

The idea of breakfast was immediately shoved aside as the red-haired man contemplated what he'd just done. Gone was the perfect breakfast for both of them. Even their meager friendship had thinned by his reckless actions. Like her, he needed some space to think, but even without her there, he couldn't concentrate knowing he was within the grounds of her dojo. It only made him feel worse about himself for taking things which she had obviously not offered.

'_Where could that woman be now?'_

He was sure she hadn't been planning to go out that day and there was no one to stop him if he decided to follow her, even though she'd told him to stay. There's no way he's just going to sit around here waiting for her, not after what had happened between them this morning. With adrenaline coursing through him, he decided to make chase.

No one escapes the legendary manslayer. No one.

OoOoO

The familiar noise inside the homely restaurant made her feel at ease. She searched through the crowd of people, in search of the signature kerchief that adorned Seikihara Tae's head. She spotted her, attending to a group of costumers already making their order. Kaoru waved and caught her attention immediately. Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she waved back, indicating Kaoru should wait for her. The younger woman stood by the side of the hall, waiting for her friend to finish.

"Minako-san!" Tae shouted from across the room to one of the waiters. A young waitress made her way fast through the crowds to attend to Tae's costumers. She turned to make excuses as she finally walked towards Kaoru's direction.

"Hisashiburi Kaoru-chan! You haven't visited us for a while!"

Kaoru's stress was forgotten as she took in the older woman's greeting. "Yes," she paused, scanning the busy surroundings. "It seems that you have plenty of costumers this season."

"Uhn," She agreed. "Winter is always the busiest season in the restaurant. Most of the costumers are tourists and would like to try the specialties of Tokyo…" Her eyes found Kaoru's. "You look like you haven't gotten any sleep at all…"

"Ah, this? It's just n-nothing really... "she lied.

Tae sighed. "You must really take care of your health... Speaking of which, is Dr. Gensai in town? I know he always spends winter at your dojo."

Reminded of the unfortunate occurrence, she shook her head. "I guess, I'll just be alone this year…"

Tae's troubled look urged her to continue "Dr. Gensai sent me a letter last week saying that he would attend to those in Kyoto… but he already sent me a parcel of medicines to keep me supplied in case of an epidemic this winter. It just arrived days ago onboard a trading ship."

"A trading ship? Then you must've heard the news about a trading ship that exploded!" At this, Kaoru felt her forgotten panic rising in her chest again. "Good thing your parcel wasn't on that ship."

"Yes, I've heard about it. It was the night before the ship carrying my parcel arrived." She prevented her voice from shaking. "Rumors spread that some pirates did it."

"Now that you've mentioned it..." She made a gesture, counting her fingers. "Five days ago, the townspeople found dead bodies by the shore and some by the wharf."

At this, Kaoru cringed.

"They say the corpses were mutilated and already rotting by the time the people noticed them, because they'd started to smell." When she saw Kaoru's expression, she recoiled from the gory topic. "But another thing was confusing though…"

"What?"

"They say that it's the pirates' doing… but the bodies that they found, most of them are identified as pirates.."

OoOoO

The look everyone had been giving him since he came out of the streets unnerved him. His clothes were properly mended- thanks to her- so that wasn't it. The two things he suspected must be amiss were the color of his hair and the sword he carried. As much as he hated it, he needed to give it a try and approach one of them to ask if they'd noticed the raven haired girl.

No one seemed the approachable type, most giving him suspicious looks. He looked around a corner and found an old man.

"Excuse me, but, I was looking for a young woman ... I'm from the dojo not far from here and I was wondering if she'd passed this way."

In the past, he was the epitome of stealth when it came to hunting down his assignments, but this crowded town seemed to be making it hard for him to track her down. Most of his tasks were done at night and he wasn't used of coming out like this in the morning.

The old man seemed not to hear his question. Sighing, he decided to drop the inquiry and abruptly started back to his feet when a voice called out to him.

"Are you talking about Kamiya-san?" A young man with ratty clothes walked toward him.

'A_nd to think that I've looked worse in my old gi,' _he thought.

"Pardon my father, he lost his hearing years ago. You have said that you're from the dojo right?"

Kenshin acknowledging him, nodding, "Yes, have you seen her?"

"Yep, she went down the direction of the river a few minutes ago." He pointed west. "She seemed to be in a hurry… are you her–?"

"Thanks," he cut the boy off as he hurried to the river, ignoring the hanging question, which he knew he couldn't answer.

OoOoO

"The authorities are still searching for any survivors," she said as she handed Kaoru another cup of tea. They'd already moved to a less crowded corner in the restaurant to continue their talk. "But I don't think they've found anyone yet."

Kaoru sipped her hot tea, letting the liquid calm her raging stomach since she hadn't yet eaten since the morning. She was nervous where this conversation might lead, but knew it would be rude to just stop her, when they'd gotten the chance to talk again.

She didn't want to talk about what had happened to her these past few days, in connection to their current topic, but she did want to tell her about the stolen first kiss, and ask for some advice on how she should deal with the arrogant man she'd been harboring under her roof.

"Yet?" she inquired instead.

"Days ago, some people who came to pass by the wharf that early morning, said that they'd seen a woman in a yukata, carrying a drenched man. They didn't recognize her face. But you see, I don't even believe it. Come to think of it, how could someone dress so improperly, in such a public place?"

Kaoru almost choked on her drink. '_That was actually what I wanted to tell you!'_ she wanted to say. She was the girl who saved a man by the shore and had been caring for him since she'd brought him home. Could she trust Tae enough to tell her this? There was no one else she could turn to, especially now that she might be holding someone wanted by the authorities under her roof.

That was enough pressure for her today. Setting down the beverage, she stood up.

"Thanks for the tea, Tae-san…" She made a polite bow. "... I guess, I should be heading home for now." Dipping her head low for the second time, she exited the place with quick strides, leaving a confused Tae and a half-finished cup of tea.

"This must be it," he muttered to himself. "There's no other river out here but this one." He looked around, searching for Kaoru's familiar figure. '_Kuso!' _ He cursed under his breath. '_She might have left already.'_ But he was sure she hadn't gotten far. A possibility crossed his mind.

Maybe she'd decided to go back.

On his way back, he passed by a group of people huddled in a corner and wished he hadn't, when he overheard something in their conversation.

"-Yes, the Kamiya girl," one of them whispered. He listened carefully to the hushed voices.

"She hasn't given classes since that day, has she?"

"Of course she wouldn't! She doesn't want to let anyone to see the criminal!"

"To think I once believed her dojo's foolish philosophy..."

"What do you expect from someone who teaches the art of killing? She's more a criminal herself!"

"At least she decided to come to terms with what's left of her humanity..."

"What do you mean?"

The answer came in a softer voice, so that he needed to concentrate just to hear it.

"I saw several police men earlier and I heard they're heading towards the dojo... Who knows, maybe she just wanted the dough and that's why she kept him, just to turn him over the authorities in due time."

He'd heard enough. Gathering what was left of his scattered emotions, he fled.

OoOoO

As she neared the gates of her dojo, Kaoru wondered why the people she passed seemed to be avoiding her. Frowning, she felt something was wrong. She walked faster, then came to a halt when she noticed dark uniformed figures standing just outside her gate. When she realized just _who_ they were, she made a detour and used the gate at the back of the dojo. Good thing the gate was unbolted, so she crept in noiselessly through the house. She searched for him, wanting nothing but to tell him that he had to get away as soon as possible. She felt bad for feeling like she'd helped a criminal. In the end, she was the one who stained her family's name.

"Sorry father..." She felt like tearing up but decided it wasn't the time for it. She'd gone too far to ever back out. Just as she'd made several rounds of the whole compound, her worry faltered. She couldn't even feel his _ki_ in the vicinity.

_Thank Kami,_ she sighed to herself. He was out, even when she'd told him to stay here._ His stubbornness could be handy at times. _

Now that she had nothing to hide, she felt ready to face those who were waiting outside. Kaoru remembered her conversation with Tae. Of course, by now they'd probably found out about him staying here. _Wherever he is now, I hope that he's safe._

She ran to open the gate when she heard their insistent knocking which she'd failed to notice earlier because of her nervousness. Even with their polite greeting, she could almost taste the venom in their voices. Their patience had almost run out.

"Good morning, good sirs. Is... there something that I could do for you?"

"We have a search warrant for the dojo. It's been reported that someone wanted by the authorities is currently residing here under your humble refuge." He held out a document.

"We believe you've heard of the pirates attack several days ago? The person said to be under your protection might be the only witness of that occurrence."

Kaoru's temper flared. "I'm not keeping a criminal! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" She paused, finding a weak spot to aim for. "Don't tell me this is how you do your job nowadays! I can't believe the police would stoop so low, basing judgment on random gossip!"

"Hold your tongue woman! You dare insult the name of justice once again and we'll take you into custody without second thought!"

A calmer man came forward and gestured for them to leave the talking to him.

"I'm sorry if we've offended you, ma'am, but would you mind telling us what you know?"

Kaoru, a little calmer with this one's approach, timidly answered.

"I found him- a person- at the dock one morning and nursed him back to health. I don't know anything about him yet." '_He refused to tell me anything,'_ she wanted to say but remained silent about it.

"That's exactly why we're here." He removed his cap.

"I'm telling you, if he truly was one of the pirates, I'd have turned him over to you first hand!" she reasoned out.

Betrayed byher mind, she asked herself,_ 'Could you, Kaoru? __**Would**__ you?_'

"Who said that we're accusing him of being a pirate?" A sour-looking policeman said, with cold, measured words.

"For all you know little girl, I'm afraid that you didn't know that the one you might be harboring under your roof is the Hitokiri Battousai."

TBC

* * *

_*Hisashiburi_- long time no see

I happen to re-read the first 2 chapters of this fic and I almost had seppuku for realizing those lame mistakes on my grammar… My goodness..I could understand now why my beta had been having a hard time polishing those RRROOUGHH drafts. (sighs) Sooo… I did a double take and re-posted the edited version. Try checking it out.

**PURE FANSERVICE FOR THIS CHAPPY!**

Please REVIEW…Im going to be 18 (at last!) this 29th...It's my birthday so treat me to one ^^


	6. A Start

Tiger-Lily walks in with complete set of RK plushies

kokoronagomu: yay! Kenshin plushies!

Tiger-Lily: this is not for you (then JLuc appears from nowhere)

Here! (author shoves all plushies to JLuc)

kokoronagomu: what about me?

Tiger-Lily: That's for making me wait. I gave this chap for JLuc to edit.

kokoronagomu: (wails)

* * *

**The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice**

~Tiger-Lily~

_**CHAPTER 5- A start**_

He stood at the edge of the river- the same spot he'd been at while looking for her earlier. His mind was clouded with confusion, too numb to feel anything.

'_Why?'_

Perhaps it was own naïveté, for feeling at peace in her presence. He wondered how he'd let it happen, when had she gained his trust? _So __much __for __thinking __she __really __meant __her __kindness._

'_Why__you,__of__all__people?__'_

The once forgotten cold began to seep back into him, but he kept his composure. He couldn't– shouldn't- feel this way about her. To admit that in such a short amount of time, he'd managed to forget his work, since this strange woman waltzed in his life. She seemed to have a pull over him because, if he really hated her, he would've left, without heeding the voices that kept him staying a bit longer. The need to clear his confusion over her was so strong that his own inhibitions were set aside.

'_A __liar __doesn't __deserve __anything-__much __less __a __chance __to __talk,__'_ he thought. But every time he tried to put the word liar onto her, a twinge tugged at his heart, letting him know that he felt something for her, somewhere inside his cold heart.

He didn't listen when she'd asked him to stay, but if she'd really wanted to turn him over to the police, she could have done it without trouble, considering his weak state... She couldn't be as heartless as that. Then again, it could be a really good haul, turning over a criminal, especially with the ransom she'd get once they learned about his identity.

'_She __needed __the __money_,' he considered. He hadn't failed to notice the inactivity of the dojo, which led him to wonder why she didn't teach lessons, when she barely earned enough from her few students.

But a part of him wanted to believe that she'd really cared.

He wished she would find him here and tell him that what he'd heard wasn't true- that she was still the angel he deemed her to be. Then he decided.

_Just __this __last __chance __to __talk_. Just to thank her – if _only _for saving him at the dock that chilly morning.

She had to close her jaw to keep flies from entering her gaping mouth. True, she had first thought it, but to now- her worst fears were confirmed- it was the Battousai, himself! Yes, she'd heard rumors about him, but she would've expected the great Battousai to be a large, ugly guy in rags and not a petite, handsome –

Her memory scrolled back to the scene that morning, at the kitchen:

_Red Hair. Cross scar on his cheek._

Figures.

There was the possibility that he'd kept his identity from her because he didn't want to be discovered too soon, and during the time he'd stayed with her, there were many chances that he could have killed her. But he didn't. Was the feared killer as cold hearted as she'd heard him to be? Why Battousai?

"As much as we enjoy wasting our time standing here, we'd like to begin searching."

Kaoru, still dumbfounded, didn't even protested when they pushed against her as they made their way inside. Jostling her aside, the police started to search every inch of the compound as she silently battled against herself.

'What if he comes back in a few minutes? Then again, what if he's gone for good?' She couldn't help but feel something cringe within her at the thought of not seeing him again. 'Maybe he just took a walk,' she assured herself. 'Maybe I could meet him halfway and warn him not to return yet, if that was the case.' She was again reminded that the force of authority was still within her grounds. If she moved now, surely they would suspect something.

Why she felt this way, she couldn't tell. What she knew was that she had a strong urge to be protective of the vulnerable self he hid from the world. Was she ready to admit that she had just sided with a cold-blooded murderer? He wasn't really as evil as others thought him to be, she figured, and believed their meeting by chance meant that she had a special role she to fulfill in his life.

Finding no one, no traces of the Battousai inside the dojo grounds, the police questioned her, insistent that she tell them his whereabouts. Well, she really didn't know, and that was the only truth she was sure about…

Before she knew it, one of the policemen took her by the arm and tried to take her into custody. Kaoru wouldn't budge. One made a wrong move, gripping her wrist, and found himself thrown to the ground by the fierce kendo master.

She slipped out of their grasp and decided to make a run for it, hoping to get away from this already confusing situation… and hoping to find him.

'_How dare they accuse me of such a thing? Yes, I've welcomed someone in my home, but that's my business alone!'_

It had been the limit of her tolerance to let them search her compound but she put up with it because of the search warrant. Still, she knew that arresting her was out of her bounds, since they'd only presented a search warrant.

Kaoru took the road leading to the town. That way, if they came after her, she wouldn't be easy to find among the throngs of people. It would be easier to shake them off, too.

She muttered apologies to some of the people she'd shoved harshly, having heard the distant police whistle. The townspeople, becoming aware of a ruckus, turned their heads to locate the commotion.

She wasted no time and her feet led her straight toward the river. The sun had sunk over the horizon, leaving the sky a tinge of pink and she began to panic, because she really had no idea what to do once she got them off her tail.

As the need to catch her breath came, she stopped and leaned against a tree.

"Oh goody, now I just turned against the authorities, does it make me more of a criminal now?" she grumbled between panting breaths.

Kaoru suddenly realized where she was. Odd, but it seemed that she'd returned here- to where she'd first found herself that morning. She looked around and saw that she wasn't alone. Attempting to avoid anyone, she stopped in her tracks. Her eyes reacquainted themselves with a familiar figure.

"Battousai..." not meaning to voice it out loud, she almost jumped when his head whipped in her direction.

A sudden pang of dread rose up when she met his eyes, reflecting some kind of emotion she could not decipher.

He was just sitting on a rotting log (which was coincidentally, the same one she had sat on that morning) as he pondered, when a rustle of the grass and footsteps alerted him. He was surprised to see the object of his frustration a few feet away.

Before she even took a step closer, he abruptly stood up and held his palm out, gesturing for her to stop.

His eyes suddenly blazed amber effectively blocking her from reading the extent of his warring emotions,

"No. Don't come any closer"

His reaction shocked her, making her do as she was told. Her feet felt like a ton of bricks.

He was flabbergasted himself- how'd they find themselves in the same place, in the most complicated of situations? He figured there would be no better time to settle this.

She took the opportunity to speak first. "Battousai…"

'_Stupid!__Don__'__t __you __have __anything __better __to __say __than __that?__' _she reprimanded herself.

"I'm leaving… For good. I appreciate that you bothered about me." He sounded as cold as his words. "I _really_ appreciate your help…" He tried hard not to say anything as gullible as a 'thank you.' "… for taking me in. You could have asked me politely, if the money really meant that much more to you…"

She flinched at his remark...

'_What __the?__'_

"I can't hold you responsible for your actions anyway,.. at least I helped your crumbling dojo"

'_Is __he __saying __what __I __think __he __is __saying?__'_

"But if you possibly think that I would give in that easily... that's where you've got it wrong."

With that finally said, he heartlessly turned his back on her, not even acknowledging her reaction. This is when his grand exit should come about but he failed to see one thing coming.

It was seconds before he realized as he was spun around and left with the stinging sensation on his cheek, where her palm burned a mark.

'_What are you doing Kaoru? Have you lost your mind! That's the notorious killer you just slapped!'_

She wasn't that surprised he would suspect her for turning him over to the police. In truth, she couldn't blame him. Because of the way she acted and walked out of him that morning, not to mention telling him not to follow her, was suspicious enough that anybody in his situation would think that. But he'd gone too far, thinking her that low.

The conceited freeloader dared speak about her dojo like that!

She wasn't the emotional type normally, but with all this karma getting back at her –self-loathing, guilt and disappointment- she could only revert to the one thing she'd sworn she would never do in front of anybody:

She cried. And then the next second she was shouting, "I'm going to let you get away with thinking that I really turned you over to them." Since it was undeniably her fault that he was discovered. "But I guess I was wrong about you, you're as heartless as they say... Hitokiri Battousai," she spat.

He winced, tightening his fist in an attempt not to lash out against the petite girl.

"What's wrong with you, woman?" His tight voice told her how enraged he was.

"That's for sullying my dojo's pride!" Her voice broke on the last word.

'_I guess nobody would really understand. I'm sorry father.'_

Seeing her blue eyes bloodshot from the onslaught of her tears, he felt guilty for her distress.

"There they are!" the approaching police drew their attention, causing both of their heads shoot up. "Stay right where you are!"

It was then that his eyes found hers, questioning, and she, in return, glared back, despite her streaming tears. Throwing a quick shrug to the fuming girl, he made his decision.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" she shrieked as she was being hauled over his shoulder.

"Getting us out of here." It was hard enough for him with her pounding little fists on his back but with her voice breaking his eardrums, he fought the urge to throw her at the river.

"What? This is treason! If there's somebody here who should be escaping, that would have to be you!"

"But it looks like they're not only after me," he muttered as he saw more of them coming down the riverbank.

"If that's the case, I'd be more than willing to turn myself over rather than destroy what's left of our name's dignity!"

Instead, he just braced her tighter.

"Run now, talk later."

In a split second he began to stream through the forest with god-like speed.

"Put – me – down!" She emphasized every syllable with the thump of her fist. They sped through the forest and she closed her eyes as her vision swam into an array of colors, drifting herself to unconsciousness.

* * *

_No one's gonna hurt you…_

_Promise you won't leave me…_

_I… promise._

Battousai savored the stillness of the night watching the flicker of light in numb appreciation. What made him more at ease was the unmoving girl lying on a makeshift mat, made with thatches of dried grass, beside him.

The yellowish light gave her beautiful face a faint glow. In pure awe, he hesitantly brushed away stray locks caught between her lips, pushing back the urge to lean in and kiss those cherry plumps.

He still remembered her taste, a faint memory, but it was enough- for now- to appease his hunger. Then without noticing, he had drawn his face an inch closer, just above her face and he could almost feel her breath mingling with his, while he bathed in the tranquility of the moment.

Kaoru stirred when she felt his hands brushing over her face and her first reflex was to grab something- anything- to clobber him with, but the idea flew out of her mind as fast as it had come, when she felt the Battousai's breath ghosting over hers.

Snapping her eyes wide open, she ignored the way it stung, since she'd just opened her eyes from a rough sleep. Not giving herself time to adjust to the light, she somehow managed to look directly at the blurry image of him.

From the widening of his eyes, she could tell that he was caught off guard as well.

"Get off me you jerk!" He let her push him off of her. Giving him no time to speak, she began her questioning assault.

"Have you lost your marbles?" She straightened up.

"And what exactly- ugh!" She felt itchy all over, flicking grass out of her hair. "... do you plan to do, now that you've dragged me with you? Didn't you think for a second that the authorities would eventually reach us, no matter where we go? Being wanted is bad enough, but escaping from authorities? We've just proven ourselves guilty! …" Kaoru sighed and slumped in defeat.

From a shihandai to a nurse and finally, a criminal on the loose. In such a short amount of time, she'd managed to go from one to the other. She felt miserable for own sake.

"So, would you mind filling me in now?" Breaking the ice, he asked with an impassive look on his face.

"What do I have to tell you?"

"The plan."

"What plan?"

"Your plan for turning over the Battousai."

Ok, now the moment of truth. She huffed. _'__He __didn__'__t __really __think __that __low __of __me, __did __he?__'_

On the other hand, she couldn't blame him if he did think that way. She would've, if she'd found herself in the same situation, with nobody to trust.

Somehow, she managed to come up with the simplest and truest answer she could give, "how could I do that when I didn't even know who you were?"

"You could've. The rumors..."

"I've heard of those, but it never once occurred to me, since the moment I saw you, barely alive at the dock that morning."

"Still, you shouldn't have taken in a katana wielding stranger."

"Haven't we settled this already?"

He didn't answer so she took the liberty to say, "I wanted to ask you so many questions since you've woken up." She fiddled with the hem of her kimono sleeve.

Still silent.

"But you won't even tell me your name, so…" Seeing him looking at her, she got distracted.

"So?"

"So... I let it go for a while. Stranger or not, I just can't leave anyone in dire need."

'_Anyway,__who __would __imagine __the __infamous __Manslayer __helpless __and __drowning?_' she thought.

"So you really didn't turn me over to them?" There was a strange shift to his voice that sounded like... hope?

"No."

"Why did you run away from me?"

'_That __was __uncalled __for__'_; their rendezvous this morning was brought up in the most awkward of situations.

She threw back a question at him, "Why did you kiss me, anyway?"

It took her a few moments to process what she had blurted out. _'__Goodness, __did __I __just __say __it __out __loud?__'_

"So that's it?" he said in a mirthful tone. She could clearly see his amusement at her silliness. "You managed to get us in this situation just because you're affected by how good a kisser I am?" He teased.

Her face turned several shades redder.

"You conceited jerk!" '_I __can__'__t __believe __I __just __shared __my __first __with __the __likes __of __you!__'_ she thought.

"Well, maybe I should give you another…" He rubbed at his chin. "Ah... and think of the possible things you'll do next." He grinned.

"Try and meet my fist."

Shrugging, he sat back, all the while contemplating another question.

"So it's not true... What I heard from the townspeople."

It didn't sound like a question, she supposed, but curiosity got the better of her, so she threw a glance at him. Then he could choose whether or not to tell her what he'd overheard that morning.

"I noticed you've been neglecting the needs of your dojo when you took me in… and continued on when I got better… I actually thought you were after the ransom on my head…"

'_Do __you __really __have __to __rub __it __in?_'she asked in her mind.

"Have they always talked like that about you?" For the first time, worry laced his voice. A complete contrast to what he'd shown from the first time they met.

"No, not until the war ceased and rumors of Battousai – you, spread from Kyoto… and no, don't even start thinking I'm blaming you."

"A year ago," she started again, "My father was still the master back then, and we had a lot of students under the Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu…"

At the mention of her father, Battousai saw the longing in her eyes.

"He later went to assist at the Seinan war, so he left the dojo to me. He died on the battle field, leaving me to fend for myself. "

The forgotten wound burst open again. And he could tell that she was trying hard to keep her tears from falling.

"Things never got back the way it was... with the war drawing to its end, and much loss to be dealt with- not to mention the rumors that you just disappeared without a trace- the people started to become anxious and then they began accusing us of teaching the art of killing.

"Many dojos lost half of their students. But I was dealt the worst blow. Only a _few_ willing students remained… because I'm a girl."

They stared at the flickering fire slowly reducing to embers.

"I couldn't blame them… I know how they felt_,__" '__Having __experienced __my __own __loss __first __hand.__'_

It was hard to deny the guilt clawing at him. He knew that. He'd seen many deaths, most caused by his own hands.

"I've been alone since that… then I saw you at the dock..." She remembered those violet eyes that spoke volumes to her, the night she secretly came to comfort him. "But at the time, the rumors flew out of my mind… I just knew that I had to help, no matter what they'd say."

'I didn't see the killer in you,' she wanted to add.

"Manslayer or not… all of us deserves help… as long as these hands can reach them."

"My father once told me… that there are some things…" She remembered tears in violet eyes "...in their past that others prefer not to talk about. So I didn't push you."

He felt it. Something was hanging in the air- she'd left something unsaid- but decided not to open the topic, at least for now. That would have to wait. What's important was that she was there with him and didn't betray him as he'd suspected her.

"Mou!" She turned to him, trying to get his attention. She wheezed, "Really Battousai, I was being all emotional here and you didn't listen at all!"

"Kenshin…"

"What was that?"

"That's my name. And there's a surname that goes with that too."

"Oh…"

"Himura Kenshin. Call me by that name from now on. "

She cocked her head to the side, slightly confused, "What's the catch?"

He snorted.

She giggled at his retort... '_He __trusts __me __enough __to __give __me __his __real __name_…

_This is a start.' _

"However, it's up to you. Call me whatever name you want."

"Oh… but I prefer the one you gave me just now. Battousai's worn out already."

"Ken… shin…" she tested it again. And he loved the way it came out of her mouth.

"Consider yourself lucky I gave you the liberty to call me that..." he said.

"But tell me one thing at least. If you're the infamous Hitokiri, why did you end up in that mess anyway? Did you know about the pirates' attack or did your wounds come from a different situation?"

'_I __guess,__it __really __wouldn__'__t __hurt __to __try,__' _he mused.

"I wanted my whereabouts unknown, so I left Kyoto... I wandered a bit, until I decided to come farther north and boarded a private ship to Tokyo,- so as to avoid attention as much as I can."

"Then the pirates attacked that night, and before I knew it, the ship I'd just boarded had hoarded drugs. I had some trouble dealing with them, as I wasn't skilled with fighting on a boat. Then the ship just malfunctioned."

He paused, remembering the tiny detail about almost failing his vow, as he chased the retreating pirates back to their rowboats. He still couldn't let go of the bloodlust.

"Then there was an explosion. One of many I'd ignored while fighting. With the next explosion, the impact sent me flying through the air and I fell into the water. I don't know what happened next. I just knew that whoever was still in the proximity was better off dead.

...And I'd thought I was going to end up like them."

Kaoru was perplexed. Trying to take it in and at the same time wavering whether or not to believe his tales. But to her, it made sense.

"I'm not expecting you to believe..." he said, as if hearing her thoughts voiced out.

It was too much for her to absorb that she didn't know what to say next, Kaoru drew the prickly mats and huddled closer to the fire. She shrugged and spoke with a sigh.

"Well, I really don't intend to pry too much… but I'm glad we at least managed to understand the details… and straightened the matters between us… and with me knowing your name now, a name that goes with that cocky attitude of yours."

With the last statement, he looked at her, baffled. Again, even with the knowledge of his true identity she hadn't cowered in fear. And she didn't seem to run out of insults to throw at him, too.

He suppressed a chuckle. _'__Maybe __you__'__re __getting __too __soft,__Battousai__'_

"Still..." she began, "Himura-san."

He cringed at the formal way she addressed him. She didn't seem to make the most of the liberty he gave her.

"I'm glad, though our current situation is a bit crazy. What's important is that you're fine now…

Anyways… you do happen to have some food on you, don't you?" The girl looked as though she was asking for sweets from a candy vendor, rather that the deadly assassin.

"It's too dark and you really wore me out with all the running, so I wasn't able to get us food. But you could help yourself to some water, there is a spring nearby."

Her nose scrunched at his offer. "I haven't eaten all day, I tell you! I'm not just going to go to some river of yours! My stomach deserves more than that!"

"I'm too exhausted; it wasn't my fault you're that heavy." He said, matter-of-factly. It was true that having nothing to eat the whole day, and all the action they went through, was taking a toll on his body now.

"Argh! Never mind..." she finally gave up in annoyance.

Retiring for the day, she decided she wasn't hungry at all… It was too late for food anyway. Kaoru scooted away from the fire to prevent her bed from catching stray embers and managed to get herself comfortable amidst the cool forest floor. "I want a good night's sleep at least! Don't try anything stupid!"

But she was sure before she closed her eyes, she'd heard him mumble.

"Sorry… and thank you... For real."

Kaoru snuggled deeper into the thatches, a small, real smile gracing her lips for the first time that day.

'_At __least __he __has __some __manners,__'_ and with that, she drifted off to sleep

_You're Welcome._

TBC.

* * *

_**I'm really excited to speed up the development of their relationship but it really wouldn't make sense to Battousai's part in the plot if he moved on that fast..(Hey, I'm trying my best to portray Battousai as he is on the manga here.) He might have developed a trust in her (but to a certain extent) considering he had a dark past; she had to work hard to break his impenetrable barriers. **_

_**I really appreciate those who take their time to give reviews to this story. I love you people.. God bless you all.**_

_**I JUST WANT TO TAKE BACK MY PS FROM CHAPTER 3. I WON'T TOLERATE FLAMERS. However, constructive criticism is welcome…. and with that said**_

_**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW FOR THIS POOR LADY.**_


	7. First Fall of Snow

**A/N:** This chap contains nudity and some hints of er… whatever. Not a warning, but this is rated "M" isn't it?

**DISCLAIMER**: If I owned RK, I wouldn't let Warner Brothers turn it into amovie..

**The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice**

~Tiger-Lily~

_**CHAPTER 6- First Fall of Snow**_

The bugs were everywhere; crawling and buzzing around her, trying to drink her blood and sweat. Kaoru waved her hands in the air, the sleeves of her kimono offering no barrier to the blood sucking parasites which had insisted on swarming around her, since the moment she opened her eyes this morning. The man ahead of her didn't even seem to care, and this pushed her further to the brink of her patience.

"Stupid bastard," she muttered under her breath as she tried to catch up with his quick strides. At the moment, she didn't even know where he was taking them. They hadn't eaten since the day before and here they were, hitting the road again.

She raised her arms to wipe at the sweat that slid from her scalp, only to see half a dozen mosquitoes on the column of her arm. Her other hand slapped at them, blindly killing three, two of those had been full to bursting.

Seeing her own blood didn't usually upset her, but this time, with hunger taking its toll on her body, all the strength went out of her legs. Her bottom met the cool ground, the movement drawing Battousai's attention… or so she thought.

He turned towards the road again, ignoring her fallen form. With a huff that sent her bangs up over her head, she indignantly got to her feet, shook the dust from her clothes and spoke loud enough for her voice to reach him.

"Wait a second, do you have any idea where your silly feet are taking us?"

He didn't respond and kept on walking.

"Fine. Ignore me as if I don't even exist..."

He paid no attention, just like the first time she'd talked to him. Kaoru was already used to his mood swings though. Most of the time, it seemed to her as if she were a thorn in his side; she always seemed to get on his nerves just by asking a few questions.

"You're the one who dragged me out here, so it's not my fault if my presence has been a nuisance to you. Deal with it, Himura-san." she said out loud.

The corner of his lips twitched at the way she emphasized the honorific. For a moment he regretted giving her his real name.

"You know, woman, if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut. It could save you energy, at least," he finally responded.

'_He hasn't changed at all!'_ she mused. Maybe she was just foolish, to have thought that their conversation last night would've bridged the gap between them. He was still the infuriating jerk she'd slapped yesterday.

* * *

Being trained as a hitokiri accounted for his endurance, especially in the wilderness. He was honed to control, discipline and patience. But overcoming a feisty woman such as this would prove to be a great challenge.

'_What's the problem with this woman? She always seem make the simplest things complicated!' _he thought.

Battousai clung to indifference with the girl, believing that if he ever let his guard down, his enemies –who might be still after him – would see her as his weakness and use her as a potential target to provoke him. He could tell from the sound of her faltering steps that she'd been struggling with what was left of her energy to keep up with him. It tested his willpower not to carry her over his shoulders and end her suffering.

Not that he would be able to do that with that stubborn attitude of hers, anyway. When the thought of knocking her unconscious began to be very appealing, the voice inside him taunted him again.

_Really? Or do you just want to feel her body close to you?_

Silently banishing the voice inside his head, he walked faster. Fast enough to put some distance between them, but still close enough, in case something happened. He never regretted taking her with him, but dealing with her outbursts was more than enough to break his control.

_The touch of a woman… It's been so long hasn't it? _the voice spoke again.

He was right. It was only last night that they'd shared that kiss, yet the longing he felt ate at his heart like a disease. As much as he wanted to touch her, make her feel safe around him, he had to keep her at arm's length so he could get a hold of his sanity, just a bit.

'_Hunger really does strange things to your head, especially when what you are craving isn't food,' _he thought.

* * *

She regretted it- regretted turning down his offer about the river last night. She was more than thirsty... dry as a bone. The cool air chapped her lips; her throat was dry and throbbing and her tongue felt like a dusty worm, making it hard for her to swallow. She cursed herself for not drinking from the river when she had the chance.

'_I'm not going to die of thirst in this darn forest am I?_' she asked herself. She'd gone too far to turn back, _'but it doesn't mean that there are no other sources of water here, does it?'_

They plodded through the pines and spruces that grew taller and better spaced, as this part of the forest grew older. A part of her admired the beauty of this wilderness, even in her physical distress- and right now, her temples were pounding with a headache so bad, she could barely walk straight.

At first, she dismissed the sound of running water as an auditory hallucination. Nevertheless, she moved faster and almost tripped when her foot caught on a thick root protruding from the ground. If not for the cushion of bushes that caught her fall, she would have re-acquainted her bottom with the ground. Battousai had gone too far ahead to even notice the problem.

'_He could have at least waited for me.'_ She threw an irritated glance in the direction he'd been wandering off in.

'_Maybe he just doesn't care, because I'm not much of a woman,' _she thought.

Overcoming her own mortification, Kaoru stood up, knocking down a clump of moist dirt in the process. She wanted to scream her anger at him, for disregarding her most of the time. But it wasn't as if she was asking for his attention, she just wanted him to make her feel that she wasn't alone in all of this.

* * *

His attempts to keep his mind off of her had been so effective, that he'd barely heard her stumble. It was only when she started whining that the flat line that was his mouth, tugged down at the sides.

"I told you, if I were you I'd–"

Before he could finish what he had to say, he was cut off when a certain sound grew louder – too loud to mistake it for anything other than what it was. Bracing for the inevitable, he turned to face her, dismissing the small woman's perplexed expression.

Missing the look of total shock on his face, she blurted out, "What's your problem?" Her hands were on her hips, an odd posture for one who had just been exhausted.

"RUN!"

The command was sudden; Kaoru would have shot back a nasty remark, if not for the desperate urgency of his voice. She willed herself to look back, only to be met by the sight of a dark cloud of wasps approaching.

In an instant, her entire body sprang to life. The muscles of her legs were suddenly bursting with strength as she made a wild dash towards him, breaking one of her sandals in the process. When she reached him, his arm instantly came around her thighs and she found herself in the same position he'd carried her yesterday.

"You idiot – can't you find a better way to carry me around?"

"Should I put you down now?"

"Who asked you to carry me anyway?"

"And would you stop acting like a child for once? You just broke your sandals! One more complaint from you and I won't have a second thought about leaving you to those poisonous insects. "

He'd never felt more triumphant than when her body slumped in submission.

"Where did those insects of yours came from anyway? Did you happen to fall on bushes while we were walking?" he asked.

"Of course not!"she denied, to stave off the humiliation hitting her squarely in the face_. 'How would you know, when you're not even there?' _was what she wanted to say.

He raised an eyebrow. Instead of arguing with her, he kept his mind busy trying to find a way to escape the wasps.

Kaoru noticed his movements; she could tell that he'd gotten a bit sloppy. But, he was still fast enough to carry both of their weights at his speed, not to mention that he was already worn out.

The sound of water came to her again, this time it was clear to her that it wasn't just her imagination as it seemed to get louder with each step they made. They headed toward it, ducking under low branches and stepping over fallen logs like a wild animal in a lunatic's trance. Her head felt like it was going to explode and she had to cover her mouth not to upchuck with every leap he made.

Suddenly, they stopped, finding themselves at the edge of a steep precipice beside which seems to be a deep river. Kaoru's throat rejoiced at the sight of flowing water, the wasps were not getting any slower.

"Hold your breath."

Before she could even process what he'd said, she found herself detached from his body in mid-air as he made a risky jump. She didn't even have the chance to suck in air as she felt the ice cold water swallow her whole body, her head being the first to go underwater.

She waded desperately, moving her body as much as her kimono would allow. Water entered her ears and nose and the need to surface became paramount. There was little current where she was, so she pushed closer to the surface and was about to pop her head out but before she could, a hand grasped her wrist and pulled her back under.

From underwater, she could see a blurry image of Battousai, shaking his head in warning. She'd been deprived of water earlier, but now she couldn't let him deprive her of air too; she desperately needed it! Kaoru struggled and kicked at him to break free, but he was stronger- she'd have no choice but to resort to something tricky.

Battousai didn't see it coming until her nails grazed his arm, just enough draw blood. The sudden pain loosened his grip on her and he immediately let go. Her head finally out of the water, she coughed at the water that choked her, then his titian head followed, no better off. She swam towards the big rock at edge of the river, heaving at the weight of her wet kimono that dragged her down.

Kaoru clung to the rock, muttering curses at him, calling him names, the least of them being "stupid."

"Are you trying to get us both killed?" The pair of blue eyes he admired seemed to shoot flares back at him. She wrung out her kimono sleeves and felt for the remaining sandal on her foot and threw it at him, missing him by an inch.

"So this is what I get for saving your life," he mumbled as he climbed to the edge.

"Oh, so drowning somebody counts as saving a life?" she bit back harshly.

He stood up at the edge, regarding her seriously, and then she that familiar indifference snapped back into place again.

"Those werepoisonous wasps."

Then he left her sitting there, torn between guilt and dissipating anger. He peeled off his dark, sopping top and made his way towards some tall bushes, enough to make a decent cover while he got out of his clothes. He would just give her time to contemplate her actions.

Finding a good stump to lay his sword on, he proceeded to squeeze the water out of his clothes. He hung them over an old branch to dry, shivering as the icy breeze touched his bare skin. Winter was already casting its early winds. He had to keep his patience a notch higher than usual if he wanted to keep her with him – at least for the time being.

Now that he thought of it, it struck him. After this he wasn't really sure what to do about her. She was right that this was entirely his fault. Being dragged out of her home, he would admit, was a wrong move. But even if she wasn't any better off with him, her life would be in danger if he returned her to the dojo right now.

'_Better choose the lesser evil,'_ he decided. But- at least for now- he simply could not let her go. Not when he'd found a cure to the demons inside him.

* * *

Kaoru staggered to her feet. Looking around her, she spied a tangle of dead pine boughs. She took them to one of the tall firs near the river and leaned them against the trunk, like upside-down fans, creating a little space –sort of a half tent – she could crawl into. If no wind came to knock the branches over, she thought she would be fairly snug

"What a life... lost in the forest, soaked to the very strands of your hair and with a complete jerk who could make you feel crazy with guilt," she muttered to herself as she put the last branch on her makeshift shelter. She freed her dripping hair from its ribbon, letting its heavy weight to cling to her pale shoulders as she loosened her obi.

A few feet away she spotted a cluster of bamboos. Their branches were a good length to hang her kimono on. Shoving the last of her robes, she walked towards it naked from the waist up. She clasped her soiled clothes tightly to cover her chest.

After finishing the task, she walked back to her spot, and then stopped halfway when the Battousai chose that untimely instant to show up. He stood looking at her with an expression on his face that she couldn't quite decipher. It was too late before she realized his eyes were totally feasting over her nakedness, sending heat from her cheeks to her bare shoulders.

Her arms came up to cover her chest, retrieving what was left of her decency, as her sanity tried to come up with words to say to him. Not when he'd already taken in the pink buds of her nipples as they stood out in the cool air or the way the color that spread over her chest brought life to her usually pale skin.

Battousai eventually turned away, totally dismissing her as if nothing had happened. The sudden change unsettled her, but more than that, the strong feelings radiating off him made the distance between them even more evident. She tried to convince herself that he was just surprised and indifferent, as if the change of his eyes' expression didn't have an effect on her… when it actually did.

* * *

Battousai's clenched knuckles nearly turned white. The sight of women's bodies didn't usually have this effect on him, considering that he'd had comrades once and they'd had their share of brothel visits. He was still a man after all, and men have their own needs. Even if he'd been known to always be in control, he could easily go crazy with the strange feelings this woman could evoke in him.

It had been a long time since he'd had such perverse thoughts- until he saw her body's response to his stare. It wasn'tmerely lust and he knew it.

Fleeting memories of his deceased wife came back to him with a vengeance. His first time with her had been gentle. The night was young back then, and the scent of white plums wafted with every touch, every caress. Inch by inch they discovered their bodies' reaction to questing hands, and lips…

This time it was different. With the way they clashed over anything and everything, he expected no less from their lovemaking- clashing again and again until the fire consumed them both and he could lay exhausted in his angel's loving embrace, resting his head against her warm and supple breasts while her gentle hand moved in circles on his naked back soothing away any tension and trauma, shielding him from the cold and cruel ice, until there wasn't anyone or anything left in that sanctuary but him and her sweet murmurs, and the scent of jasmine, and blue eyes...And maybe someday, he would be worthy enough to touch her, lavish her with the same attention she'd bestowed upon him.

Realizing where his thoughts had wandered off to, he pounded a fist into the rough bark.

He needed that dip in the river again.

* * *

At the moment, Kaoru remained silent as she took in every rustle of leaves around her whenever the cool wind blew. Her face was contentedly upturned to the brightest part of the sky to where the sun might be hiding behind the early winter clouds. She lost track of time and didn't have any idea how long she'd sat there like that, with her knees drawn to her chin, until Battousai finally invaded her personal, little refuge.

"It's starting to get a bit chilly, don't you think?"

She snorted. "Chilly? Well, considering that were both drenched and naked in open air, you could say that. It'll be by grace that we don't end up catching colds," she said without looking at him.

Overlooking her usual demeanor, he brought something to her face. "Here. I managed to find some food."

Kaoru stared at the piece of roasted fish– the poor thing had the stick coming right through its mouth to the end of its tail– then back at him. At the fish. Then back to him again. Giving in to the needs of her stomach, she finally took the fish from his hands and threw him a skeptical look.

"Now you're bribing me with food." Even so, she took her first bite. It felt like she hadn't eaten for weeks and her taste buds would've accepted even her own cooking, but what she appreciated most about him, was his ability to make even the least of ingredients delicious.

"Wow, you're really good at this," she mumbled between mouthfuls.

"Fishing?"

"No. Living in the woods."

Taking nothing himself, he watched her eat the second meal he was able to make for her since they'd met. As if she'd read his mind, she spoke,

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything but your cooking, since you woke up."

Noting the silence around them as she continued eating, Battousai said with a smirk "Hmm… maybe I should keep your mouth occupied from now on."

"And what do you mean by that?" She suddenly drew back.

"Stuff it with food, to keep you from talking. What else did you think? I really didn't think that food could get your head functioning properly again."

"Hey!"

And then she couldn't help but smile. It was infectious, and he longed for her to keep smiling at him like that.

"Himura-san..."

"Hmm?" His tone still held the air of indifference, but nevertheless, she shook off her pride and in a low voice, she apologized.

"I'm sorry I threw that sandal at you."

He avoided her searching eyes. "At least we're even. Your throwing that sandal in the river means you have to figure out ways to travel barefoot from this point on."

'_Insufferable guy.'_ She thought.

"My clothes have probably dried off by now." He stood up, his muscles rippling as he stretched his arms over his head. The he eyed her shoulders, and her hands immediately covered the exposed skin.

Turning away, he ordered, "You too, get dressed. If we move fast, we'll be able to get out of this forest before dark. And next time don't go barging through the forest naked."

The statement shot heat rushing through her veins again. "Pervert," she scoffed.

But right now, she felt giddy at the good news. She waited until he was gone so she could snatch her dry kimono from the bamboo twigs. With the same proficiency she had in her sword art, she was able to take less than a minute to don her kimono and stood waiting for him.

Battousai came out of the trees with a pair of what looked like woven twigs in one hand.

"It may feel a little itchy but at least they'll do the job," he said, as he tossed them to her feet. "This will save us both trouble."

Securing the coarse sandals to her feet with a knot, she took few steps to test the pair. He was right about the itch, but the material was soft enough for her feet to move freely and thick enough to protect the soles of her feet.

"Let's go."

* * *

Up on the tips of her toes, she could see the towering trees, now far away. The sunset cast a shadow on the steep slopes, a view she admired wholeheartedly.

"To think were there an hour ago..."

"Hurry up, we still haven't found a place to stay yet." Battousai's voice brought her back down to her feet again.

She walked alongside him now, the sprinkle of bushes had, one by one, vanished into solid ground as they drew closer to civilization. From here she could see the roofs of scattered buildings, some tattered and some fairly small. As they arrived at one village, she took in the unfamiliar place, not noticing that Battousai had stopped in front of an inn.

The front gate opened suddenly, revealing a middle-aged woman clad in kimono. She smiled and greet him.

"How may we serve you, sir?" the woman asked politely.

"We're looking for a place to stay for a little while..." When he realized he was standing there alone, he glanced around in panic. Relief came over him when he saw Kaoru gawking around like a country bumpkin.

"I have company," he said with a slight smile.

"Your wife?" The impression that they were a couple brightened the woman's face even more. Battousai stuttered over something to say at the unexpected inquiry.

"She's a young one." The woman said, noting the bright designs of Kaoru's kimono "… The woman sighed, remembering her own youth, "But it's just like they say, young love cannot be repressed."

"If you would excuse me for a moment, madam." He excused himself for to retrieve Kaoru.

Meanwhile, the young woman was too occupied looking around. She almost jumped when she felt a hand grip her elbow.

"Kaoru! don't ever leave my side again! Do you understand?" Battousai's eyes were full of anger and worry as she stared blankly at him. She couldn't say a word as she'd just snapped out of her stupor.

"This place might look quaint to you, but this place could be dangerous for outsiders like us. Let's go. The innkeeper is waiting." He led her to the inn and, to Kaoru's relief, the innkeeper who greeted her was very kind.

"How long have you been married?"

The question tore through Kaoru's obviously occupied mind, but before she could answer, Battousai spoke,

"I think we should continue this inside, we're a bit tired."

The woman smiled and led them, but before Kaoru could set foot inside the entrance, she felt something cold touch her cheek. She looked up to see the first few drops of snow descending.

"The first snow, it's finally here." She touched her cheeks and let the tiny drop slide to her chin, a small smile gracing her lips. When she turned to look at Battousai, she was taken aback by his dark expression. Unlike the familiar indifference he usually dealt her with, this was different. It was as if she hadn't known him at all.

"Come on, we shouldn't stall over such things," he said, turning his back to her. She hadn't felt such coldness from a person before, much colder than the ice of winter.

Kaoru watched as he and the innkeeper made their way inside, leaving her to be the lone figure in a soft rain of white flakes – a total contrast to the blood mingled snow on a forest floor, not so long ago...

TBC

* * *

_**It was like… how many months since I last updated? Ok let's just not count it... I haven't given up on ff. No, not ever. This is what I love. Anyway, my university is accepting exchange students to Japan. But as much as I want to go, I can't because the term falls tight on my schedule. I'll be taking my internship this summer and preparing for my senior year, another reason why I can't update my stories more frequently.**_

_**I'd have to thank JLuc for this. He adds the spice to my sugar, if you know what I mean.. he always make me realize the full potential of this story and I praise him for it.**_

_**Remember the episode where Kenshin used his sword to ward off wasps? Well, let's not exaggerate for once and get a little more REAL here, shall we?**_

_**Please review.**_


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